55TH Session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) African Regional Committees in Maputo Mozambique 22-26 August 2005

Issued by Department of Health

15 August 2005

A South African delegation will leave next week to attend the WHO-AFRO conference in Maputo, Mozambique scheduled to take place from 22-26 August.

The WHO Regional Committee for Africa will meet there to set policies and approve budgets and programmes of work for each 6 WHO regions.

The South African delegation, led by the Minister of Health Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, will include MECs for health in Gauteng and Northern Cape.

This year's meeting of the Regional Committee, which is the WHO's Governing Body at the regional level, is expected to take place within the context of change.

The Minister of Health will highlight progress made and challenges faced by South Africa in the implementation of various programmes, such as tobacco control, eradication of malaria, polio and TB, and human resources development for health.

The meeting which brings together Health Ministers and delegates from all African countries, will also review various health issues affecting the continent including the following:

• Review of the implementation of the 3 by 5 Initiative in Africa. This is a WHO's effort to have 3 million people on antiretroviral treatment by the end of 2005.
• Regional programmes for tuberculosis and malaria control
• Regional strategy for emergency and humanitarian action
• Integrated epidemiological surveillance of diseases
• Regional strategy for immunization 2003-2005 and polio eradication
• Human resources development including "brain drain"
• Food safety
• Sustainable health financing in Africa

Contact: Charity Bhengu 083 679 7424 or Sibani Mngadi 082 772 0161