WHO Regional Committee for Africa 67th session
◆◆ Enhancement (REDISSE) project to fund IHR capacity building in ECOWAS countries; the African Development Bank support for IHR capacities; and the establishment of the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention by the African Union.
9. Dr Moeti noted that the reform of WHO’s Health Emergencies programme was leading to faster and more effective responses to outbreaks; improved dissemination of information through weekly bulletins to all partners; and greater transparency.
This was evident in the rapid response to the recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2017, which was brought to an end within just two months. Similarly, WHO played a central role in coordinating the process for the cross-border control of a Lassa fever outbreak in Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso.
10. The Regional Director declared that building stronger, resilient and responsive health systems is the best approach to stop outbreaks and bring equitable health care to all the people of Africa.
Consequently, pursuing UHC is a top priority, and a key contributor to achieving Sustainable Development Goal three (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) and assuring progress in pursuing the Agenda 2063 as agreed by the African Union.
Accordingly, WHO in collaboration with health ministries in Member States has developed a framework to guide action on advancing UHC and SDG3 as well as a monitoring system to provide information on progress. She observed that financing is fundamental to improving health systems in the Region.
Dr Moeti indicated that efforts were being made to improve immunisation coverage, combat antibiotic resistance and end TB by 2030.
She mentioned that the growing burden of non-communicable diseases was also a concern for the Region, noting that it was imperative to adopt measures against NCDs, including prevention, early detection and treatment.
The growing importance of social and environmental determinants underlines the need for a multi-sectoral approach with the SDGs providing an excellent platform for such collaboration.
12. Dr Moeti reported on the significant progress made in implementing the Region’s Transformation Agenda. She indicated that an independent mid-term evaluation by WHO’s Global Evaluation Office in April 2017 had confirmed the progress made.
13. In his remarks, the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, thanked President Mugabe, of the Republic of Zimbabwe for his commitment to health.
He also thanked the countries in the Region for their support, and acknowledged the outstanding work of Dr Moeti on behalf of Africa.
14. He outlined his plans, including a number of ‘fast track initiatives to boost effectiveness in emergencies, enhance governance, improve communication and resource mobilisation, and pursue better value for money.
Beyond these immediate priorities, the groundwork is being laid for widespread changes aimed at strengthening WHO’s capacity to meet the health challenges of the 21st century.
He indicated that he has started the process of shaping the next General Programme of Work (GPW) that will guide WHO’s work between 2019 and 2023.
15. Dr Tedros said that it is logical for the next GPW to focus on the SDGs. While there is a single goal on health, he stressed the fact that it either contributes to, or benefits from, almost all the other goals. This implies that some of the biggest health gains will come from improvements outside the health sector.
It is therefore essential that WHO engages with partners in all relevant sectors to drive progress. The next GPW proposes the following mission for WHO: ‘to keep the world safe, improve health and serve the vulnerable’.
16. To achieve this mission, the next GPW proposes five strategic priorities, namely: prevent, detect, and respond to epidemics, including polio elimination and combating antimicrobial resistance; provide health services in emergencies and help operate and restore health systems; support Member States to strengthen health systems to achieve UHC; drive progress towards specific SDG health targets; and provide the world’s governance platform for health that will shape the complex global health architecture, a role in which WHO has authority and credibility.
17. He mentioned that managing and monitoring of WHO’s work will focus on outcomes and impact. Thus, a scorecard with key indicators and measurable targets will be developed to monitor the performance.
18. In his official opening address to the Sixty-seventh session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, President Mugabe, spoke extensively on health development in Zimbabwe and globally over the last 50 years.
He noted the health challenges facing the Region such as the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases and maternal and child deaths that require concerted efforts to address.
President Mugabe urged the Committee to seek explanations to the prevailing health challenges, and most importantly, to find ways and means of arresting and reversing them.
19. The president reiterated that a sound and prosperous life is predicated on the enjoyment of good health, adding that the interplay between health and development has become evident to all.
Therefore there was a need for robust investment in health, using various health financing mechanisms, for example levies on mobile communications. He advocated for the strengthening of health systems, including the empowerment of communities to respond to the growing number and complexity of health issues. Furthermore, he called on African governments to prioritise health in their national development agenda. In conclusion, President Mugabe called for health to be given deserved prominence at the sub-regional, continental and global levels. He then declared open the Sixty-seventh session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa.
20. The Regional Committee unanimously elected the following officers to serve on the Bureau of the Sixty-seventh session of the Regional Committee:
Chairperson: Dr Pagwesese David Parirenyatwa
Minister of Health and Child Care Zimbabwe First Vice Chairperson: Mr André Mama Fouda Minister of Public Health Cameroon Second Vice-Chairperson: Dr Raymonde Goudou Coffie
Minister of Health and Public Hygiene
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