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Date : 22/08/2005
Source: Department of Health
Title: M Tshabalala-Msimang: Annual Report of Regional Director at 55th Session of WHO-Afro Regional Committee, Maputo


  Intervention by the Minister of Health of South Africa, Dr Mantombazana Tshabalala-Msimang, Item 6: Annual Report of the Regional Director - 55th Session of the WHO-Afro Regional Committee, Maputo

Chairperson;
Director-General, Dr Lee;
Regional Director, Dr Sambo;
Honourable Ministers and Heads of delegations;
Distinguished delegates;
Ladies and gentlemen

I wish to congratulate you Chairperson and other office bearers on your election, we are confident in your ability to lead this 55th session of the World Heath Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa.

Let me take this opportunity to commend the Regional Director for a very informative report on the work of the WHO in the African Region, this being Dr Sambo’s first annual report as he begins his mandate as Regional Director. Dr Sambo, let me personally thank you for ensuring that the work of the WHO at country level proceeds smoothly without interruption by assigning an acting WHO Representative to my country.

In commenting on this report, I wish to emphasise that my intervention is one that is forward looking, aimed at enriching programme directives for the future. With this goal in mind, it is my view that circulating the report to the Member States early could facilitate a rich discussion of this annual report. It is my understanding that this report focuses exclusively on activities funded by the WHO.

However, we note that there are some omissions of important activities in the report - for example the fact that South Africa has ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). We note with satisfaction some of the major achievements identified in the report, including improved partnerships, such as collaboration between the WHO and various health development partners.

Chairperson, my delegation has taken note of the eight challenges identified in the report. We need to focus now on developing strategies to address these challenges. One way of addressing these would be to learn from each other within and between regions. A concrete suggestion would be to explore the possibility of establishing an observatory as a repository of best practices.

Chairperson, we concur that human resources development for health is a critical and urgent issue. Indeed there is no need to remind this august meeting of the role played by the honourable African Ministers of Health in putting this issue high on the agenda of the WHO. It is commendable that WHO has had advocacy events focusing on human resources for fealth, including making 2006 the year for human resources for health as well as dedicating the 2006 World Health Day and the World Health Report to human resources for health.

The issue of migration of health workers remains a major challenge to our health systems, whilst we will engage in a substantive discussion on this matter later on, allow me to highlight the need to engage in robust discussions on ethical recruitment by developed countries from developing countries.

With regard to essential medicines, one challenge is that of drugs that are no longer being produced because they treat diseases that have been controlled or eradicated in developed countries. There is a need to increase investments on new drugs including research, development and production of African traditional medicines. The report is silent on the launch of the African Centres of Excellence on Traditional Medicines in South Africa.

Our region should advocate for strengthening of initiatives within WHO structures such as the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR). We wish to also encourage the region to recognise and support sub-regional initiatives on local manufacture of drugs.

On Implementation of the Regional Strategy against Malaria in the African Region, I wish to underscore that indoor residual house spraying using DDT remains the mainstay of vector control in our country. This has continued to markedly reduce the malaria cases. The other key vector control interventions are complementary. Partnerships with Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe have been key to our success in malaria control.

We agree with the Regional Director that additional effort is needed to reduce the tuberculosis (TB) burden of disease. In this regard we may wish to explore other modalities in addition to the DOTS strategy.

There are a few key issues that relate to HIV and AIDS that I wish to comment on. One is the need for effective nutrition programmes in our countries. It should be noted that proper nutrition is critical to support the body’s ability to fight diseases - not just HIV and AIDS but all diseases.

As we continue to improve access to anti-retrovirals as part of a comprehensive approach to HIV and AIDS we need to strengthen our health systems and disease prevention programmes, and improve our health information systems to enable us to track what happens to patients who are started on antiretrovirals. It is equally important to use traditional medicines to treat patients with HIV and AIDS. These medicines have been used by our people for centuries and most do not have the side-effects that modern medicines have.

We agree with the Regional Director on the increasing burden of disease from non-communicable diseases. It is our view that the budget for health promotion needs to be increased. The report seems to focus on inputs and process and not sufficient on outcome indicators of progress. There may be a need to revisit some of our regional indicators and targets for better monitoring.

Chairperson, one other challenge is to harmonize inter regional initiatives such as New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and other sub-regional initiatives. In elaborating a harmonised set of initiatives the African Ministers of Health must provide the necessary political leadership.

Chairperson, all the challenges will require a concerted effort in mobilising resources, however, the manner in which we manage the resources that we have, whether national, regional or global.

In conclusion, Chairperson, I have already alluded to the importance of health research in my intervention. In this regard South Africa wishes to offer to host the Global Ministerial Summit on Health Research in 2008.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Health
22 August 2005
   

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