Harare -- The 52nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC52) is scheduled to take place from 8 to 12 October in Harare, Zimbabwe.

This year's meeting of the Regional Committee, WHO's Governing Body at the Regional level, will discuss a report on the work of WHO in the African Region during the 2000-2001 biennium, to be presented by the Regional Director, Dr Ebrahim M. Samba,

It will also discuss progress reports on the implementation of specific resolutions adopted at previous Regional Committee meetings and the WHO 2004-2005 Programme Budget.

In recent years, meetings of the Regional Committee had adopted recommendations on: the role of traditional medicine in health systems, HIV/AIDS, Roll Back Malaria, emergency and humanitarian action, health research, health sector reform, the development of human resources for health and the Bamako Initiative.

Also high on the agenda of the meeting are discussions on three strategy papers elaborated by the Regional Office. These are on poverty and health; environmental health, and accelerating immunization in the African Region during 2003-2005. The meeting will also consider proposals by the Regional Director for enhancing the stewardship role of government in health sector reform, and for accelerating the Regional Strategy for human resources development for health.

Roundtable discussions to be held on the sidelines of the meeting will focus on health financing, health sector response to the dual epidemic of TB and HIV/AIDS, and the role of risk-factor reduction in addressing cardiovascular diseases.

The five-day meeting is expected to be attended by Health Ministers (or their representatives) from the 46 Member States of WHO in the African Region; senior officials from the Regional Office and WHO/HQ, including WHO Director General, Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, as well as representatives of other United Nations agencies and a number of bilateral, multilateral and Non-Governmental Organizations.

For more information contact:

Samuel T. Ajibola
Public Information and Communication
WHO Regional Office for Africa
P.O. Box 6, Brazzaville, Congo
Tel: + 1 321 953 9378 Fax:+ 1 321 953 9513
Harare: 091 231 405
Email:  ajibolas [at] afro.who.int

 Paul-Richard Belemgoagba
External Relations and Governing Bodies
WHO Regional Office for Africa
P.O. Box 6, Brazzaville, Congo
Tel: 1 321 953 9340 Fax: 1 321 953 9509
Email:  belemgoagbap [at] afro.who.int