The Extraordinary Summit of the African Union in Accra, Ghana has resolved to advance the continent’s health agenda, focusing on ending AIDS and tuberculosis by 2030, reducing maternal mortality and boosting local pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Speaking at the opening the Summit on Wednesday in Accra, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana appealed to the delegates to make the expected declarations become a living commitment rather than another well-written document.
“We must hold ourselves accountable through regular monitoring, peer review and measurable progress,” President Mahama said.
Mahama stated that Africa has matured to the point where it can confidently evaluate its own performance without external supervision.
“The people of Africa may never read the declarations we adopt here, but they must experience their impact in better hospitals, reliable medicines, efficient clinics and healthier lives. They must see the difference in mothers smiling with healthy children, patients receiving timely treatment and communities enjoying stronger health systems,” he said.
According to Mahama, with global funding for health dropping, Africa can no longer afford to remain a passive beneficiary of global health systems designed elsewhere but become the architects of its own health destiny.
To this end, he said that the pharmaceutical manufacturing plan for the continent through the African Medicines Agency was moving from treaty commitments to practical implementation that would strengthen pharmaceutical regulation across the continent.
In his speech, the Director General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended the continent for making “extraordinary progress” in combating HIV/AIDS with infections dropping by 40 per cent since 2010.
Dr. Ghebreyesus said that as external funding declines, Africa still bears a heavy burden as it risks losing grounds in the fight against the disease and others.
According to the WHO boss, treating disease alone is not enough, but tackling what drives it like conflict, poverty, poor education, unsafe water and gender inequality remains critical as the combat.
According to local media reports, the two-day Extraordinary Summit being hosted by Ghana is attended by Heads of State and Government, health ministers and experts, policy makers and development partners, including the host, Presidents John Dramani Mahama, Ghana; Évariste Ndayishimiye, Burundi; Samia Suhulu Hassan, Tanzanian; Romuald Wadagni, Benin; Temesgen Tiruneh, Deputy Prime Minister, Ethiopia; Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, World Health Organisation; and Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson, AU Commission amongst others.
The reports added that at the end of the summit, the delegates are expected to adopt a continental roadmap to accelerate progress toward the agenda, which stressed the urgent need for local pharmaceutical manufacturing, diversified sustainable health financing and resilient community-centered primary healthcare.
GIK/APA