Dr. Sambo Reiterates Call for Health Systems Strengthening
- Urges Harmonised and Holistic Technical Support for Developing National Health Policies, Strategies and Plans
Lusaka, 14 March 2011-- The Regional Director for the World Health Organization, African Region, Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo has called for harmonized and holistic technical support by WHO to help countries build capacity for development of national health policies and strategic plans. Dr. Sambo was speaking at the opening of the Orientation and Adaptation Workshop on the Global Learning Programme on national health policies, strategies and plans workshop which is taking place in Lusaka from 14th -18th March, 2011. This workshop has been organized by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa in collaboration with WHO Headquarters with the aim of developing the capacity of the WHO staff and the organization to engage in effective dialogue with countries around developing their national health policies, strategies and plans.
Lusaka, 14 March 2011-- The Regional Director for the World Health Organization, African Region, Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo has called for harmonized and holistic technical support by WHO to help countries build capacity for development of national health policies and strategic plans. Dr. Sambo was speaking at the opening of the Orientation and Adaptation Workshop on the Global Learning Programme on national health policies, strategies and plans workshop which is taking place in Lusaka from 14th -18th March, 2011. This workshop has been organized by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa in collaboration with WHO Headquarters with the aim of developing the capacity of the WHO staff and the organization to engage in effective dialogue with countries around developing their national health policies, strategies and plans.
In his opening statement, Dr. Sambo stated that health systems strengthening was a priority in the African Region. He emphasized WHO’s leadership role in the provision of normative and policy guidance for building national capacities for developing national health policies, strategies and plans. He also emphasized the importance of building upon existing tools and past experience particularly from the Primary Health Care approach which was re-emphasised in the 2008 Ouagadougou Declaration on Primary Health Care and Health Systems.
The workshop is intended to review and adapt the generic training materials in order to take into account regional specificities. The materials were pretested in SEARO, EMRO and WPRO and were reviewed during the 3rd GLP Technical Committee meeting which was held from 6th -11th February 2011, in Nairobi Kenya.
The workshop has brought together a group of experts from WHO Headquarters, the WHO Regional Office for Africa, WHO Inter-country Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa, WHO Inter-country Support Team for West Africa, WHO Country Offices in Chad, Kenya, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, former WHO Representatives and consultants to work on the generic training materials.
The Global Learning Programme is aimed at improving the understanding of the health systems strengthening, harmonization and alignment, and aid effectiveness in the context of national health polices and strategic planning; enhancing skills and capacity to provide technical support on national health policy development and strategic planning; strengthening capacity to engage governments and development partners in policy dialogue on systems thinking around national health policies, strategies and plans.
WHO/AFRO Regional Director , Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo (Left) with the WHO Country Representative, Dr. Olusegun Babaniyi (centre) and the WHO Country Representative for Mali, Dr. Fatoumata Diallo (Right) at the opening of the Global Learning Programme Workshop
For more information please contact:
Nora Mweemba, Health Information and Promotion Officer
Email: mweemban [at] zm.afro.who.int
Tel No: 00-260-211-255 398 / 255 336 / 255 322
