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Closing remarks by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, at the Sixty-Third Session of the Regional Committee for Africa

Submitted by dinara on Mon, 17/07/2017 - 16:34
  • Excellency Mr Chairman and elected officers of the Sixty-second session of the Regional Committee;
  • Honourable Ministers;
  • Distinguished Guests;
  • Representatives of Bilateral and Multilateral Cooperation Agencies;
  • Esteemed Colleagues of WHO;
  • Members of the Social Media;

Permit me, on this occasion, to express my great satisfaction for the manner in which the Sixty-third session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa has unfolded. 

We have discussed matters of extreme importance and of great interest to the health of the people of the African Region:

  • We have decided on measures for promoting healthy ageing of the population.
  • We have endorsed the recommendations of the Commission on Women’s health in the African Region for promoting the socioeconomic status of women and for providing better health service response to women’s health needs.
  • We have defined the orientations for the African Regional Immunization Strategic Plan 2009–2013.
  • We have approved the plan for prevention and control of Neglected Tropical Diseases 2014–2020.
  • We have held a side event at which the issue of cancer control in Africa was addressed.
  • We have made recommendations for implementing the new WHO guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infections.

Regarding health systems strengthening, we have had an enriching panel discussion on the theoretical and practical aspects of universal health coverage, considered as a process that should lead us to meet the health needs of individuals, families and communities.

The sharing of experiences among countries showed that each country has its specificity and that the viability of health policies depends on the political, economic, financial and sociocultural context. 

  • Excellencies,
  • Honourable ministers,
  • Distinguished delegates,
  • Dear colleagues,

The agenda of this session features other equally important items that I will not be able to enumerate here for lack of time.

May I recall, however, that in line with the new arrangements made as part of the reform of the WHO governing bodies, the Chairman of the Sixty-third Regional Committee will be reporting on the outcomes of this session to the WHO Executive Board.

I am hopeful that the innovative ideas and resolutions that have come out of this Regional Committee meeting will not sink into oblivion after the closing of this meeting.

I am therefore inviting you to disseminate these important outcomes of our meeting among partners of the health sector; and to share the recommendations with health professionals at all levels of your services so that we can make a practical impact in terms of positive change to help dissipate, once and for all, the ideas of Afropessimism about the health sector.

Before I end my remarks, I would like to reiterate my sincere gratitude to all the ministers and heads of delegation of Member States and all the observers for their active participation and for the quality of the deliberations of this Regional Committee.

May I also congratulate His Excellency Mr Francois Ibovi, Minister of Health of the Republic of Congo, elected Chairman of this Regional Committee, for the elegant and diligent manner in which he has chaired this session. On behalf of the World Health Organization, I reiterate my thankfulness to him for the frank and friendly cooperation that he has maintained with the World Health Organization.

Honourable Minister of Health of the Congo, may I request that you act as our mouthpiece and convey to His Excellency President Denis Sassou Nguesso our appreciation of the immense contribution of the Congolese State to the success of our deliberations.

I should also say a word of gratitude to the experts from African countries and international health research institutions for their participation and their scientific contribution. That has enabled us to increase the quality of the deliberations and the relevance of our recommendations. I also thank the translators, interpreters and members of the mass media for their invaluable contributions in diverse ways.

I wish to express here my satisfaction to my esteemed colleagues of the World Health Organization, especially the WHO Director-General, Directors of the Regional Office clusters, Coordinators of Intercountry Support Teams, WHO country representatives, Regional Advisors and the support staff for the quality of their work, their performance and the discipline they have demonstrated during the preparation and conduct of the deliberations.

I would like to wish you all safe journey back to your respective countries of origin, hoping that we shall meet again in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, for the next Regional Committee in 2014.

I thank you for your attention.