The Head of State, Denis Sassou N’Guesso, called for increased vigilance for sustained epidemiological surveillance and an urgent and effective response against the monkeypox virus.
Opening the work of the 74th session of the regional committee of the World Health Organization, President Denis Sassou N’Guesso indicated that this meeting is being held at a time when the monkeypox epidemic is affecting several countries, which is essentially based on issues aimed at improving the health of Africans..
“For an Africa that is more confident in its operational capacities in terms of health, for an Africa that is better prepared to face the disease, I wish your work every success,” said Denis Sassou N’Guesso.
“It is appropriate to focus our actions on the most prominent health problems, under the leadership of WHO. I would like to call again for a coalition in support of the “International Primary Health Care Day” initiative, launched by my country in May 2024 in Geneva, during the last World Health Assembly,” said President Denis Sassou N’Guesso.
At these meetings, which were attended by nearly a thousand participants in this 74th session of the WHO-Africa regional committee, the Minister of Health and Population, Gilbert Mokoki, announced the financial increase in Congo’s contribution. “Congo, through my voice, would like to announce to you that its contribution will increase by 50%. A sovereign decision by the President of the Republic,” he said.
This well-ordered charity that must begin at home was a way for Minister Gilbert Mokoki to underline the need for Member States to be concerned about sustainable financing in order to support the draft of the fourteenth general work programme 2025-2028 in order to meet the growing demand for improving the well-being of populations.
For his part, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that “States must become more involved in mobilizing resources.” He also discussed the progress made and the challenges that remain.
Several health issues that concern the continent will be discussed during this 74th session of the WHO-Africa Regional Committee. Among them, “Transformation for results: Strengthening African health systems through WHO reforms”, the topic for discussion on 26 August; “WHO investment cycle: Making Africa’s voice heard” which will be the subject of discussions on 27 August; “Addressing the public health emergency of preventable child mortality in the WHO African Region”, on 28 August; “The path to zero infections: ending polio in the African region”.
The 74th session of the committee will focus on the election of the successor to the current WHO-Africa Regional Director, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, who is at the end of her term. Four candidates are in the running for the position of Regional Director. They include Drs Boureima Hama Sambo of Niger, Richard Mihigo of Rwanda, Ibrahim Socé Fall of Senegal and Dr Faustine Engelbert Ndugulile of Tanzania.
The 74th session of the WHO-Africa regional committee currently taking place in Brazzaville will undoubtedly result in conclusions or recommendations, which the new regional director, who will be responsible for steering this organization at the sub-regional level, will implement.
The 74th session of WHO-Africa, which is being held in Brazzaville from 26 to 30 August on the theme “A world mobilized for health, health for all”, brings together, among others, the ministers responsible for health from the forty-seven member countries as well as the Director-General of WHO.
