African Leadership Meeting, “Investing in Health,” launches new initiative
Author:
Aidspan Staff
Article Type:Article Number: 6
New commitments made to ensure achievement of Universal Health Coverage in Africa
ABSTRACT In this collection of links to other publications’ coverage of the African Union Leadership meeting, “Investing in Health”, held in Addis Ababa on February 9, we highlight articles from AIDS Africa Watch and Devex, and a news release from the Global Fund. They describe the meeting’s focus on strengthening African countries’ own commitments to reaching Universal Health Coverage, and to increasing domestic investments in health as a greater percentage of the gross domestic product of each country
The past week was a big one for the Global Fund, with the Preparatory Meeting for the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment held in New Delhi on February 8, and the African Union’s African Leadership Meeting held in Addis Ababa on February 9, whose theme was “Investing in Health”.
For more on the Replenishment Preparatory Meeting, see the article in this GFO on communities’ and civil society’s response to the Global Fund’s Investment Case, which was presented at the meeting.
For more on the African Leadership Meeting, we highlight below three news reports from other sources. See also the article in GFO 349 by Aidspan CEO Ida Hakizinka, on whether African countries are ready to take on greater domestic financing commitments in the runup to the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment.
From: AIDS Watch Africa
Addis Ababa, 10 February 2019 – African Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Health and Finance, business leaders and global partners gathered yesterday ahead of the 32nd Summit of the African Union (AU), to launch a new initiative aimed at increasing commitments for health, improving the impact of spending and ensuring the achievement of universal health coverage across Africa’s 55 countries.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who is Chair of African Union, said: “Governments should surely be willing and able to increase domestic investment in healthcare […] We should be the first ones to contribute to efforts that directly benefit our people.”
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Global Fund praises African leadership on Investing in Health
From: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Addis Ababa, 10 February 2019 – The Global Fund joined calls by African leaders for more investments in health at a leadership conference that championed commitments to support broad social and economic development by ending epidemics and strengthening health systems.
Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, calling health a fundamental human right, expressed support for targeted investments in health that prioritize services for women and children and underpin national development. She and others cited the stark reality that Africa has 24 percent of the global disease burden and only 1 percent of total spending in health.
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AU summit opens with focus on peace and migration
From: Devex (by Christin Roby)
Addis Ababa, 11 February 2019 – The 32nd African Union Summit opened at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday, with a ceremony that focused on peace and security, migration, and economic growth.
The two-day assembly of 55 heads of state and government will establish the union’s priorities and outline its work program for 2019. The agenda addresses institutional reform, progress on the African Continental Free Trade Area, and updates on peace and security – alongside closed sessions concerning violent extremism, corruption, early marriage, and the adoption of continental legal instruments, open only to specific delegations.
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