Mauritius News

The Rodrigues Health Commission, Mauritius Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW), with support from WHO, conducted a sub-national (Rodrigues) public health risk profiling exercise from 29 May to 02 June 2023 to better understand risks and prepare for future public health emergencies in the Island of Rodrigues. The exercise is subsequent to similar risk profiling assessment at national level performed in February 2023 in Port Louis where it was recognized that Rodrigues island comes with its own, distinct vulnerabilities and unique topography, urging for a specific sub-national public health risk assessment and mapping. The meeting, attended by 28 multisectoral experts, used the Strategic Toolkit for Assessing Risk (STAR) to identify and prioritize the Island 's public health risks. The STAR toolkit is guided by the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction commitments. It was used to assess potential public health risks for all existing identified  hazards in Rodrigues.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness partnered with the World Health Organization to cost and validate the Mauritius National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) during a five-day workshop in April 2023. With the support of WHO, the country was able to finalize the action plan to strengthen the national health security system drafted in November 2022. This multi-year action plan for Health Security draws on multisectoral engagement using the One Health approach to strengthen Public health emergencies detection, early preparedness, and swift response. It has been aligned with the Global Health Security strategy and the International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR) which recommends countries to strengthen, monitor and evaluate their IHR capacities for the early prevention, protection, control and response to the spread of diseases. As a signatory of the International Health Regulations (2005), the Republic of Mauritius has already conducted voluntary and external assessments such as, respectively, the State Party Annual reporting (SPAR) and the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) which provide insights into strengths and weaknesses in compliance with IHR capacities. Results of these evaluations, coupled with lessons learned from the national response to the COVID 19 Pandemic have enabled to identify all necessary actions to improve national capacities and define the national action plan for health security. The country initiated preparatory work led by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in November 2022, with the participation of different ministries including Agro-Industry and Food Security, Education, Environment, Finances and Planning. A draft strategic action plan was thus developed and subsequently costed and validated in April 2023. The NAPHS represents an important achievement for Mauritius showing political commitment and multi-sectoral engagement to advance a comprehensive preparedness and response plan to strengthen the health security of the country. It is a milestone that sets the country to invest smartly to further protect its population and to minimize effects of outbreaks and pandemics.

Empowering the Mauritius Police Force on law enforcement for tobacco control is  essential to ensure compliance of the new tobacco law, the Public Health Regulations on Restrictions on Tobacco Products, promulgated in 2022. This initiative was led by the Vie et Santé (VISA) NGO in close partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the University of Mauritius, the WHO country office and the State Law Office. From April to May 2023, nine-five police officers were released from their routine work to participate in a full day training held at the Police Training Centre in Beau Bassin. The trainees had the opportunity to get updated knowledge on the global tobacco epidemic, its socio-economic impact, the provisions of the Mauritius new tobacco laws including new plain packaging legislation, the tobacco industry interference and counteracting strategies as well as new and emerging tobacco technology products and to discuss how to enforce the new law. Mauritius’ achievements in tobacco control began in 2003, when the Ministry of Health and Wellness began work towards implementing tobacco control laws. Soon after, on May, 17, 2004, Mauritius was among the first countries to become Party to the WHO FCTC. Since that time Mauritius has always been a pioneer in tobacco control legislation and policies being among the first countries to impose pictorial and written warning on tobacco packaging in 2008 and being as of 31St May 2023 the first country of Africa to institute tobacco plain packaging.  The new regulations 2023 comprehensively strengthen Mauritius’ tobacco control framework by introducing not only plain tobacco packaging and eight new larger pictorial health but also by introducing a complete smoking ban in all indoor workplaces as well as in many outdoor public spaces. Additionally, a ban is imposed on the manufacture, import, distribution and sale of waterpipes, ENDS and ENNDS (including e-liquids), and heated tobacco products (including tobacco products for their use). The regulations impose the same ban on smokeless tobacco products;  tobacco products with a characterizing flavor; roll-your-own tobacco and accessories; any other product containing nicotine; and any device used for tobacco consumption that may be manufactured or marketed to replace or imitate a tobacco product. The Commissioner of Police, Mr Anil Kumar Dip; the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Mauritius, Dr Anne Marie Ancia; VISA’s Honorary President, Mrs Véronique Le Clézio; as well as other personalities, attended the final hand over certificate and closing ceremony organized on 15 May 2023 at  the Special Mobile Force Diamond Hall in Vacoas.

“I was on leave on that day, but I wanted to accompany my son who had agreed to contribute to our WHO initiative and to donate blood.  When I arrived and felt the vibrant atmosphere at the office, my heart said “Yes – do it, too!”, said Shamila, Programme Assistant at WHO country office, Mauritius.   Like Shamila, other staff from WHO country office, Resident UN Agencies and Embassies donated blood for the first time in their life on 16 June 2023 during the Blood Donation Day.  This activity was organized by the WHO country office in close collaboration with the National Blood Transfusion Service. Among the many initiatives organized in Mauritius to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the WHO, this blood donation was particular since WHO called all UN Agencies and Embassies in the country to join and give blood for the Mauritian people as a way to promote Health for All.  “Friday 16 June 2023 was a very special and beautiful day at the WHO country office”, said Dr Ancia, the WHO Representative in Mauritius.  She added “friends, colleagues and members of the Development Partners Group came at the office since early morning to give blood – this was a very meaningful message to the country.”  “Donating blood can seem like a small contribution to the country needs but it is a direct and concrete help to the many men, women and children who need blood in Mauritius,” said Dr A. Ancia 

Mauritius conducted a national public health risk profiling exercise with participation from key stakeholders and  support from The world Health Organization from 22-25 February to better understand risks and prepare for future emergencies and disasters. The Mauritius Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW), the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Command, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Social Security, Ministry of Gender and Inequality, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Tourism, Meteorological Services, the Special Mobile Forces, The Indian Ocean Commission and other stakeholders contributed in the  assessment of public health risk.  Some 40 multisectoral experts, used the WHO Strategic Toolkit for Assessing Risk (STAR) to identify and prioritize the country's public health risks and related necessary preparedness and response actions for the health system.

Port Louis.  The National Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) Strategic and Action Plan 2022-2026 and a ‘Carnet de Santé’ (health card) for the elderly was launched on 23 March 2023 at the Côte d'Or National Sports Complex by the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Honorable Pravin Kumar Jugnauth in the presence of the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Hon. Kailesh Kumar Jagutpal; the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, Hon. Mrs. Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo, the WHO Representative, Dr Anne Ancia  and other eminent personalities. Mauritius health and socio-economic progress of the past decades had a significant, positive impact on life expectancy. Indeed, Mauritius is among the five African countries with the highest life expectancy at birth (73.4 years). Prolonged life expectancy coupled with low fertility rate results in demographic changes and a progressively aging society. The share of the population aged 60 years or above in the total population was 9% in year 2000,  18,7% in year 2021 and is projected to increase to 36.5% in 2061.  There is therefore a need to respond to the specific health and social needs of Mauritius growing ageing population.    The integrated care for older people (ICOPE) strategic and action plan 2022-2026 aims at improving health and wellness of older people through prevention, protection and reduction of care dependency and promotion of dignity of life, through community engagement, capacity-building of the workforce and legislative and regulatory improvements. The ICOPE strategy promotes a person-centered integrated and long-term care to address the specific needs of older people where health and social care are facilitated by continuous, multidisciplinary collaboration and coordination among various care providers.

Legal advisors and judicial officers from Botswana, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia attended a 3 day legal capacity building workshop in Port Louis, Mauritius from 01 to 03 March 2023, to strengthen tobacco control and reduction of NCD risk factors.  Mauritius was proposed to host the multi-country training workshop for legal advisors and judicial officers in government of countries in the East and Southern sub-region of Africa. The selection of Mauritius as the venue of this meeting is because its amended tobacco control law adopted in May 2022 is a legislative best practice in the WHO African Region. The country’s new tobacco control legal framework is comprehensive, and embeds plain packaging, a primer in the Region. The implementation of the law has agreed timelines and is a comparative law implementation best practice that participants will engage with and learn from to support their respective countries.   Dr the Hon K. K. Jagutpal, Mauritius Minister of Health and Wellness, during the opening of the training workshop said, “the 31st of May 2023, which happens to be the World No Tobacco Day will be of significant importance to us as Plain Packaging will be introduced in the Republic of Mauritius as from this day”. Plain Pacaging will be introduced in the Republic of Mauritius as from 1st June 2023 in order to prohibit the use of logos, colours, brand images and promotional information on tobacco packages. Instead, a standard green brown colour, namely Pantone 448 C, will be applied coupled with the pictorial warnings.

Mauritius marked the World Cancer 2023 at national level with high commitment to reduce barriers to life-saving preventive services while focusing on raising awareness on cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Mauritius, Dr Anne Marie Ancia, the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr Serge Gilbert Bablee, and other personalities attended the event in the presence of the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr the Hon Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal.  World Cancer Day 2023, commemorated around the world on 04 February marks the second year of the global campaign “Close the care gap” which focuses on building stronger alliances and new innovative collaborations in the fight against cancer by “uniting our voices and taking action”. On the commemoration of this important world day event in Mauritius on 06 February at Camp Fouquereaux Social Welfare Centre, Plaines Wilhems, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr the Hon Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal emphasized the importance of regular screening and early diagnosis to better treat cancer and saving lives. It was an occasion to raise awareness on cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment.  Cancer being the leading cause of death worldwide and accounted for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020 or nearly one in six deaths. The Minister of Health and Wellness said, “cancer is the third main cause of death in Mauritius. According to the National Cancer Registry, some 2,866 new cases of cancer were detected in 2021, including 1,185 men and 1,681 women".  Around 18.7% men suffer from prostate cancer while 35.2% women suffer from colorectal cancer and cervical cancer, he added. Dr Hon Jagutpal drew attention on the alarming statistics for cigarettes and alcohol consumption.  He urged everyone to stay away from risk behaviours such as tobacco use, physical inactivity and unhealthy eating habits.  Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and practice physical exercises regularly can reduce one’s risk of developing cancer by 40%.

Port Louis. 31 January 2023.  Mauritius is moving a step ahead in its fight against cancer by extending the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme to boys aged 9 to 15 years old as well girls. The national HPV communication campaign was launched on 13 January 2023 by the Health Minister, Dr the Hon kailesh Kumar Jagutpal and Dr Anne Ancia WHO Representative in Mauritius at the seats of the Ministry of Health and Wellness. The World Health Organization collaborated closely with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to produce four short videos on HPV as part of the sensitization campaign to inform the population of the benefits of HPV vaccination and the importance of vaccinating both boys and girls against HPV. In his address, Dr Jagutpal said, “HPV vaccination is part of the National Cancer Control Programme 2022-2025 and had proven to be very effective in reducing the risk of HPV-related cancers.”  He added, “vaccinating both boys and girls aged 9 to 15 years old against HPV is crucial to protect them later in life from certain types of cancers.”  It is the main cause of cervical cancer in women and penile cancer in men, and might as well cause head, neck and anus cancers in women and men, he further added. Some75 officers of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, have been thus trained on this new vaccination programme.  According to the Minister of Health and Wellness, the training of the health professionals is important as this is a new vaccination programme. “Health professionals involved in the HPV vaccination programme should be able to provide the right information and they need to have a comprehensive knowledge on HPV vaccination to be able it to answer any questions parents might have regarding vaccination of boys”, said Dr the Hon Jagutpal.

Port Louis. 19 January 2023.  The third World Health Organization Country Cooperation Strategy was launched on 18 January 2023 by the Health Minister, Hon. Dr K. Jagutpal and the WHO Representative in Mauritius, Dr Anne Ancia in the presence of UN Resident Coordinator, Ms  Lisa Singh, other UN Agencies, European Union, Embassies, high level officials of the Ministry of Health and other ministries among others. This four-year Country Cooperation Strategy lays down the road map of how the three levels of World Health Organization (WHO) will work with the Republic of Mauritius to improve health and wellness of the population.  It has been harmonized with the national Vision 2030, the Government Programme, the Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) 2020-2024, the UN Strategic Partnership Framework and WHO General Programme of Work-13.  It aims at progressing towards the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The document has been developed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness following consultations with key players. In his address, Dr the Hon Jagutpal acknowledged the ‘unflinching support’ received from the World Health Organization during the implementation of the first two country cooperation strategies but also during Covid-19 pandemic. “We are grateful to WHO for the valuable support provided during the pandemic, especially the active participation of the WHO Representative in the High-level committee chaired by the Prime Minister.  WHO provided valuable support for the elaboration of the guidelines and protocols to prevent and control Covid-19”.  WHO’s support has been crucial in the procurement of vaccines through the COVAX facilities and in setting up the laboratory testing facilities and Covid-19 testing centres.  WHO has provided support to the country for the elaboration of several national action plans and publication of the National Health Accounts, among other projects, said Dr Hon K. Jagutpal.  Under this new WHO country cooperation strategy, WHO will be providing funding amounting to 20.8 million USD to save lives and reduce sufferings.  Dr Anne Ancia, WHO Representative in Mauritius, said, “the overall goal of the Country Cooperation Strategy is to scale up universal health coverage and by implementing the 4 strategic priorities, Mauritius will contribute to achieving the three billion goals.” WHO will continue to work towards strengthening partnership of both health and non-health actors, she added.