We have detected that the browser you are using is no longer supported. As a result, some content may not display correctly.
We suggest that you upgrade to the latest version of any of the following browsers:
close notification
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.