Brazzaville, 5 April 2007 -- WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, has commended efforts being made by Member States in the region to increase investment in health, but warned that more needs to be done to check the persistent threat posed especially by infectious diseases.

“I have noticed the ever increasing interest and commitment in countries to systematically increase investment in health and build capacity to prevent new and existing threats through strengthened public health systems. However, more needs to be done to build effective national surveillance systems, increase laboratory capacity and control epidemics,” the Regional Director advised in a message to mark this year’s World Health Day which will be observed on 7 April.

“I encourage countries to increase investment in disease surveillance systems, diagnostic laboratories and inter-sectoral emergency response capacities” he said, in the message released Friday at the WHO Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville.

Dr Sambo said the theme of this year’s World Health Day celebration –Invest in health, build a safer future – reflected the urgent need to curb the growing threat to international public health security by the unprecedented emergence of communicable diseases such as HI/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria , and newly emerging pandemic threats such as such as avian influenza and SARS.

Noting that “infectious diseases do not know boarders”, Dr Sambo exhorted WHO Member States “to join hands to focus and work with combined responsibility, transparency and cooperation.”

He explained that international cooperation to avert public health threats could be realized through the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) which enter into force worldwide on 15 June 2007.

The Regulations focus on ensuring early detection, confirmation investigation and rapid response for any public health emergencies of international concern. This means that every Member State should commit to building minimum capacity to develop national disease surveillance, including laboratory diagnosis, as well as epidemic response capacities at all levels of the health system, with the active involvement of communities.

In the WHO African Region, the Regulations will build on an already existing and functioning Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system, taking advantage of the remarkable work many countries have accomplished in this area.

In conclusion Dr Sambo pledged that WHO, through its regional and country offices, would continue to do its utmost to make countries, the different regions and the world more secure by working closely with Member States and other stakeholders.

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