Brazzaville, 3 February 2014 – The 2nd All Africa Workshop on Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease was held from 1 to 2 February in Victoria Falls, Zambia.

The objective of the two-day meeting was to develop policy recommendations aimed at reducing the burden of Rheumatic Heart Disease in Africa, in line with the World Health Organization NCD Global Action Plan 2013-2020.

WHO was represented at the meeting by the Regional Adviser, Cancer and Chronic Respiratory Diseases and Acting Programme Area Coordinator for Noncommunicable Diseases at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, Dr. Jean-Marie Dangou.

Zambia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Joseph Kasonde, opened the meeting which was attended by 40 delegates from 13 African countries and the United States of America. The African countries represented at the meeting were Cameroon, Congo, Malawi, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia.

Participants had fruitful deliberations on the principles that should be captured in a technical document on priorities for prevention of Rheumatic Heart Disease in Africa to be used to brief Ministers of health from the WHO African Region. The Workshop issued the attached Mosi-o-Tunya Call to Action by all stakeholders addressing Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic

Related document:

The Mosi-o-Tunya Call to Action

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Technical contact

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