Politics
Liberia to Establish Heath Equity Fund
In a message read on his behalf by the WHO Country Representative, Dr. Nestor Ndayimirje, the World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo said despite the progress made in the last 15 to 20 years, populations in the African region still suffer from the devastating burden of several diseases such as malaria, AIDS, tuberculosis, meningitis, cholera and other diarrheal diseases, viral hemorrhagic fevers, among others which are obstacles to achieving Universal Coverage and the Millennium Development Goals.
He said the meeting of WAHO came at a time when the sub-region is experiencing a serious epidemic disease, Ebola and commended the Governments of Liberia and Guinea for the strong leadership demonstrated by officially declaring and mounting an effective response to the cross-border Ebola virus disease epidemic. “With this strong leadership and commitment, I am very confident that together, we shall be able to stop this epidemic and therefore avoid the loss of human lives and minimize its impact on the economy, trade and travel in accordance with the International Health Regulation,” he said.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa urged Member States of the African Region to make significant investments in epidemic preparedness and response because it will reduce avoidable morbidity and mortality especially implementing the IDSR strategy. “The experience over the years has shown that response to epidemics is unnecessarily delayed when adequate preparedness measures have not been put in place,” he said, adding that adequate epidemic preparedness facilitates rapid mobilization of response and effective containment of the epidemic.
Dr. Sambo also disclosed that the African Public Health Emergency Fund (APHEF), established in 2010 is now fully operational; noting that it has already enabled WHO provide support to Mali, Central Africa Republic, Burundi and more recently to Guinea in response to the ongoing epidemic. He noted that the process of extending the APHEF support to Liberia for the Ebola response is underway. He urged African countries to seriously embrace the “One Health Approach” considering the fact that over 70 percent of the emerging and reemerging diseases originate from animals which is true for Ebola, Marburg and Lassa Fever.
He said the beautiful flora and fauna in Africa unfortunately serves as potential reservoirs to several dangerous pathogens and there was a need to work with forestry, agriculture, the extractive industry and other relevant sectors and partners. “I would like to reiterate the imperative necessity of a strong partnership, inter-sectoral collaboration and increased cross-border cooperation between countries to prevent and control epidemics.
He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to provide appropriate technical guidance to countries in controlling the Ebola epidemic and other health threats arising from epidemic diseases as well as other public health emergencies. The Chairperson of the Assembly of Health Ministers of ECOWAS, Ivorian Health Minister, Dr. Raymonde Coffie; the Director-General of the West African Health Organization (WAHO) Dr. Xavier Crespin; and on behalf of the President of ECOWAS, Dr. Fatimata Dia Sow made remarks at the program
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