• Meet In Abuja To Close Gaps On Treatment, Prevention
• NEC To Consider Fresh Intervention On Malaria
AFRICAN leaders, at the weekend, met in Abuja to commence a week-long high-level meeting that is expected to work out a more proactive action on universal access to protection and treatment for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
They are also taking advantage of the meeting to exchange views on overcoming country/regional challenges in the fight against the diseases.
At a special session of the Permanent Representatives Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, different countries admitted that despite successes recorded in some parts of the continent, a lot still needs to be done.
Permanent Representatives met, yesterday, to review the working documents to be presented to the Executive Council and subsequently to the Summit for consideration.
Chairperson of the Permanent Representatives Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Ambassador Kongit Sinegiorgis, who addressed the meeting, said: "We all agree that encouraging achievements have been registered over the past decade in our fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria in Africa. No doubt, this was made possible through the join efforts of governments, development partners and communities. Some countries in Africa have indeed performed better towards achieving the health-related MDGs, particularly in the area of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. These success stories should, therefore, inspire other African countries that are lagging behind to scale up their efforts in the coming years.
"In spite of these achievements, however, we recognise that there is still a number of challenges in our endeavours to achieve the objectives set in the Abuja call for action and health-related MDGs. In this regards, I wish to note the gaps that still exist particularly in terms of access to HIV prevention, treatment, social protection, care and support, resource mobilisation, as well as in strengthening the systems of service delivery, sustainable financing, governance and leadership."
Also, the National Economic Council (NEC) will, this week, consider and possibly approve a new intervention plan to boost the anti-malaria programme in Nigeria.
Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, stated this at a briefing on the sideline of the ongoing special African Union (AU) Summit in Abuja, yesterday, stressing that Nigeria is refocusing its approach toMalaria.
Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria Programme of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Fatoumata Nafo-Traore, said in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, that the biggest challenges facing Africa were the double-edged problems of financing gap and the development of resistance to insecticides.
According to Sinegiorgis: "We should continue to exert more efforts to reverse the impact of the three diseases by ensuring universal access to services and strengthening health systems based on the principles of ownership, accountability and sustainability. The support of our development partners has, of course, been very critical, and I hope that they will continue to assist us by providing quality, flexible and predictable financing."
It may be recalled that in 2001, the African Union organised a summit with heads of states and government of the region on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and other related infectious diseases. The leaders pledged, among other things, to place the fight against HIV and AIDS at the forefront and as the highest priority issue in their respective national development plans. They promised to allocate at least 15 per cent of their yearly budget to the improvement of the heath sector.
The Abuja meeting that commenced, yesterday, aims to review the status of implementation of the declarations and framework for action from the 2000 summit.
The meeting is expected to come up with high-level decision on reinforced government response and action to deliver on the Abuja commitments to address HIV, TB and Malaria, as well as strengthening the health systems obtained.
Representing the host country, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Bulus Paul Zomlolo, in his welcome remark, recalled that the Summit is a follow up of the 2006 special Summit on HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, with the aim to reviewing the status of implementation of the continental commitments arising from the 2000 Abuja Summit on Roll Back Malaria.
He said that this Summit will renew the commitments of member states as well as work closely for a common position on the post 2015 agenda in a bid to review the progress and challenges Africa is facing in tackling these diseases.
Commissioner for Social Affairs of the African Union, Dr. Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko, presented the progress report on the implementation of the Abuja call for Accelerated Action towards Universal Access to HIV-AIDs, Tuberculosis and Malaria services during the period 2010 – 2012.
The report is a five-year review of the Abuja Call that shows records of progress made by AU members in the fight against HIV-AIDs, TB and Malaria, recommending the need to scale up efforts at all levels in terms of access to treatment, resource mobilisation by countries and strengthening of health systems among others.
The Summit is put together by the African Union in collaboration with the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the UN Agencies and other development partners.
The Guardian
Let us just concentrate more on the creation of awareness to the general public about the existence of this diseases....That has dropped lately and it should not be so.