Lusaka, 14 March 2011 -- A cross-border meeting between Angola, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and Zambia is taking place in Lusaka from 14th to 18th March 2011. The five-day meeting has been convened by the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Zambia to provide a forum for discussing and formalizing inter-country strategies for the common cross-border disease threats and use of fake and counterfeit drugs.

The specific objectives of the meeting are to review the progress and identify gaps in the implementation of crossborder disease surveillance and response to major priority epidemic prone diseases, to make recommendations for strengthening cross-border disease surveillance and response in the context of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response, International Health Regulations (2005) and Primary Health Care. The countries will also discuss the health threats posed by the use of fake and counterfeit drugs and propose control measures.

The cross-border meeting will also serve as the platform for the 7th Polio Technical Advisory Group meeting which will be held from 16th to 18th March 2011 and the Cross Border Ministerial meeting which will be held from 17th to 18th March 2011. The Polio Technical Advisory Group meeting will review the status of implementation of both routine and Supplemental Immunization Activities (SIAs) in the participating countries, the status of surveillance on the major transmission routes particularly the common borders and the status of synchronized cross-border activities particularly Supplemental Immunization Activities and surveillance. The Ministerial meeting will deliberate upon the reports from the cross-border and the Polio Technical Advisory Group meetings to come up with specific commitments and recommendations on inter-country strategies for addressing cross-border disease threats and use of fake and counterfeit drugs.

The Acting Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Health, Dr. Elizabeth Chizema officially opened the meeting this morning. In her statement, Dr. Chizema said that the crossborder meeting was timely because of the outbreaks of infectious diseases which were going beyond national borders. She said the on-going outbreaks of polio in Angola, DRC and Congo, the outbreaks of measles in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe in 2010 and the outbreak of the Pandemic influenza H1N1, in 2009 called for coordinated cross-border disease control and surveillance activities. Dr. Chizema called upon countries to implement the International Health Regulations which were adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2005 and came into effect in June 2007 as a measure to prevent the international spread of disease. She said governments had an obligation to build, strengthen and maintain capacities required for an effective response to public health risks and public health emergencies.

Speaking at the same function, the WHO Representative Dr. Olusegun Babaniyi emphasized the importance of the cross-border meeting. He said that there was an urgent need for strengthening inter-country surveillance and response including regular exchange of information because the recurrent outbreaks of communicable diseases in the participating countries required cross border solutions.

This meeting has brought together a total of Sixty (60) participants from Angola, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and Zambia. The participants include senior staff from the WHO Regional Office for Africa, WHO Representatives from participating countries, directors of public health, officers incharge of drug safety and standards, national immunisation focal persons, national surveillance focal persons, national environmental health and sanitation focal persons.

The importance of cross border activities between neighbouring countries has been emphasized by the WHO resolution AF/RC57/R1 of the 57th Regional Committee Meeting which urges Member States to enhance cross-border collaboration, coordination and timely sharing of information for cholera prevention and control activities. During the 60th Regional Committee held in Malabo in Equatorial Guinea in 2010, countries were urged to organize cross border meetings to establish mechanisms for follow up of recommendations. The Regional Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response Strategy and the International Health Regulations (2005) also emphasise cross-border surveillance.

Highlights of the meeting (pictorial)

For more information please contact:

Nora Mweemba, Health Information and Promotion Officer.
WHO Country Office, UN ANNEX BUILDING, Plot 4609, Corner of Andrew Mwenya and Beit Roads, Rhodes Park, P.O. Box 32346,
Lusaka, Zambia., E-mail: mweemban [at] zm.afro.who.int,
Tel No: 00-260-211-255 398 / 255 336 / 255 322
Mobile : 260 -977873976, Fax: 00-260-211-252863