Topic Resources
Agenda 2063 is Africa’s development blueprint to achieve inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development over a 50-year period.
Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy
Promoting Africa’s growth and economic development by championing citizen inclusion and increased cooperation and integration of African states.
Promoting Africa’s growth and economic development by championing citizen inclusion and increased cooperation and integration of African states.
Agenda 2063 is the blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. It is the strategic framework for delivering on Africa’s goal for inclusive and sustainable development and is a concrete manifestation of the pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance.
H.E. Mr. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, was appointed to lead the AU institutional reforms process. He appointed a pan-African committee of experts to review and submit proposals for a system of governance for the AU that would ensure the organisation was better placed to address the challenges facing the continent with the aim of implementing programmes that have the highest impact on Africa’s growth and development so as to deliver on the vision of Agenda 2063.
The AU offers exciting opportunities to get involved in determining continental policies and implementing development programmes that impact the lives of African citizens everywhere. Find out more by visiting the links on right.
Opening speech by HE Deputy Chairperson
On Africa Lifestyle Day
Courtesies
Dear Participants, Ladies and gentlemen,
A healthy lifestyle involves regular physical activity or exercise, healthy eating habits, reducing stress, avoiding tobacco use and alcohol abuse. Adopting a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like High blood pressure (Hypertension), overweight/obesity, high blood glucose levels (Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus), high levels of fat in the blood (Hyperlipidemia), various cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and injuries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has projected that by 2020, 73% of all deaths worldwide will be due to NCDs and that the burden of disease due to NCDs will rise by more than 60% in LMICs (including countries in Sub Saharan Africa).
The Theme for this year’s commemoration is ‘Tobacco- free environment starts with you’
This theme is relevant and in line with the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly’s fifth global target of reducing the prevalence of current tobacco use by 30% by the year 2025 and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The theme has been selected because of the vital role tobacco use plays in causing, aggravating or increasing the risk of developing several NCDs thereby affecting the health of millions of Africans. It recognises that all people have a right to breathe clean air and stresses the fact that each of us has a responsibility in ensuring that our environment is tobacco-free.
Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the world. About six million people are currently estimated to die annually from tobacco use, with over 600 000 deaths due to exposure to second-hand smoke ( 170 000 of these deaths occur among children). Unless something substantial is done, this annual total is projected to increase to 8 million by 2030. In Africa, tobacco-attributable mortality is currently around 3%. For an avoidable cause of death, these figures are unacceptably high.
The African Union Commission, now more than ever is committed to a “tobacco-free Africa”. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was created with this in mind. The commitment was started in 1999 and intensified in the following years, leading to a unified voice in Africa committing to tobacco control and improved public health.
Every effort should be made to ensure that people that use tobacco are assisted to stop, new smokers are prevented from starting, exposure to second hand tobacco smoke is prevented and the production and sale of tobacco products is reduced.
This is the time for action. Africa must show leadership in ensuring that the present tide is reversed and that the next generation will suffer less from the harmful effects of tobacco.
I wish you and all of Africa a happy 2015 Africa Healthy Lifestyle Day commemoration.
I thank you.
Agenda 2063 is Africa’s development blueprint to achieve inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development over a 50-year period.
Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy