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| Ministers urge mobilisation of fund for epidemic response in W/Africa
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Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) -
West African health ministers have called for
the mobilisation of a sub-regional fund for preparation and response to epidemics
and other disasters.
They also urged the World Health Organisation (WHO), in conformity with its mandate,
to coordinate all international support actions and the mobilisation of resources,
technical and otherwise, from the international community, to assist the
sub-region.
The sub-regional fund mobilisation should start from 2010, according to the ministers
from 13 West African countries, who met in Ouagadougou.
They also called on partners to provide technical, financial and logistic support
for implementing cross-border activities on disease control and surveillance.
In a final communiqué at the end of the ministerial meeting on integrated disea
se surveillance and response strengthening, which was preceded by a three-day meeting of
experts and partners, the health ministers took note of efforts by partners including
the WHO, the WHO African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (WHO/APOC),UNICEF,
the International Centre for Animal Husbandry Development and Research in
Sub-humid Regions (CIRDES) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA),
towards reinforcement of disease surveillance and epidemic response.
They urged the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) to make a strong case to
Heads of State and Governments of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS)for budget increase to step up disease surveillance and control and epidemic res
ponse.
A session on cross-border issues should also be organised during the annual meeting
of ECOWAS health ministers, the communiqué said.
In support of partnership initiatives at strengthening disease surveillance and
control in Africa, which bears the highest burden of neglected tropical diseases
(NTDs), the Joint Action Forum (JAF), the governing body of WHO/APOC, at its 14th
session in Kampala in December 2008, urged onchocerciasis endemic countries to
strengthen cross-border cooperation.
The organisation of sub-regional ministerial meetings is in response to that call.
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| Ouagadougou - 06/10/2009 |
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