MEDIA ADVISORY

FIRST AFRICAN MINISTERS OF HEALTH CONFERENCE JOINTLY CONVENED BY THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION

INVITATION TO THE MEDIA

When: 14 – 17 April 2014

Where: Luanda, Republic of Angola

Who: African Union Commission (AUC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

OBJECTIVES : The key objective of the meeting is to provide an important forum for Member States, UN Agencies, Development Partners and other Stakeholders to discuss, among other the followings;

i. Universal Health Coverage in Africa: from concept to action;
ii. African Medicines Agency: setting milestones to establish a centralized regulatory system for medical products;
iii. Non-communicable diseases in Africa: policies and strategies to address risk factors;
iv. Prevention of maternal and child mortality: review of the plan of action;
v. Establishment of an African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention;
vi. Accountability mechanisms to assess the implementation of declarations and other commitments made by African Ministers of Health.

Participants: African Ministers in charge of health, development actors, private sector, NGOs and UN agencies will attend the meeting

Background:

Throughout their many years of partnership, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have continuously explored ways to reinforce their collaboration and with theaim of obtaining better growth and development outcomesfor populations across Africa.

Guided by their respective legal and political instruments, and in the scope of their collaboration agreement, the two institutions decided to jointly organize biannual meetings of African Ministers of Health. These meetings should create opportunities for deliberation and decision-making on the critical health issues thataffect populations inAfrican countries, and on which political and public health authorities are requested to intervene in a strategic and efficient manner.

The need and desire by African countries was reinforced at the 6th Ordinary Session of the African Union Conference of Ministers of Health held in Addis Ababa in April 2013 and was also reiterated by the 22nd Ordinary Session of the African Union Heads of State and Government Summitheld in Addis Ababa January 2014.

For media inquiries and requests please contact:

Esther Tankou Azaa, AUC
email: YambouE@africa-union.org

Wurie Bah, AUC
email:bahw@africa-union.org

Collins Boakye-Agyemang, Communication Manager, WHO/AFRO
email: boakyeagyemangc@who.int

For any further information pleasevisit:

www.au.int
www.who.org

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