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| WHO, Benin to organise meeting on 'Buruli Ulcer'
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Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) -
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Governme
nt of Benin will jointly organize a
High-Level Leadership Meeting on Buruli ulcer (BU) from 30 March to 3 April in C
otonou, a WHO statement said Friday.
The meeting aims to further increase awareness and interest in BU among Heads of
State and policy makers, engender greater
political commitment among them and reinforce partnerships for the mobilization
of resources for BU control and research.
Most importantly, the meeting will adopt the Cotonou Declaration in support of
the implementation of new BU control strategy.
Heads of State from key African BU-endemic countries – Benin, Cameroon, Congo, C
ote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria and
Togo – are expected to attend the meeting, taking place 10 years after the histo
ric Conference in Yamoussoukro (Cote d’Ivoire), which
adopted the Yamoussoukro Declaration on Buruli Ulcer.
Benin President, Dr. Boni Yayi, is expected to open the High Leadership Meeting
, while the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Luis Gomes
Sambo, will deliver the keynote address.
The High-Level Leadership Meeting (30 March) will precede the Annual Meeting of
the Global Buruli Ulcer Initiative (31 March to 2 April).
''This is essentially a technical meeting that brings together representatives f
rom the ministries of health of the affected countries, nongovernmental organiza
t
ions and
researchers involved in BU activities to review progress as well as technical a
nd operational challenges for intensified control of BU,'' the statement
said.
''The technical meeting is expected to develop a road map for the implementation
of the Cotonou Declaration,'' it added.
Over 300 participants from more than 32 countries are expected to attend.
The countries include Australia, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Centr
al African Republic, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Fra
n
ce,
and French Guyana.
Others include Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Italy, Kenya, Liberia, Luxembourg, Nigeri
a, the Netherlands, Norway, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uganda,
United Kingdom and United States of America.
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| Brazzaville - 27/03/2009 |
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