Brazzaville, 11 June 2008 -- The Programme Sub Committee of WHO Africa has begun its session in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo on Tuesday 10th June 2008.

The Committee which is a subsidiary body of the Regional Committee will review regional strategies, Programme budgets, technical reports and resolutions proposed by the Regional Director ahead of the forthcoming Regional Committee meeting in Yaoundé Cameroon.

The three day meeting is being attended by public health experts from sixteen African countries and Dr Victor Mukonka of Zambia was nominated as Chairperson

In his opening address, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, Regional Director of WHO Africa region reiterated the importance of the issues to be discussed to the health of the region. He called on delegates to come out with concrete proposals and recommendations to enrich the technical documents and resolutions that would be deliberated upon by the Honourable Ministers of Health during the forthcoming 58th Session of the Regional Committee.

Dr Sambo reminded delegates about the Ouagadougou Declaration on Primary Health Care and Health Systems which was strongly adopted by Health Ministers in April 08 and called for the need to take cognizance of this in their deliberations.

He highlighted the need for Member states to have comprehensive policies to strengthen the capacity of the health system at the local level and stressed the importance of community ownership and participation in this approach.

The committee will be discussing the following issues:

• Strategies to reduce harmful use of alcohol.
• Cancer prevention and control
• Women’s health in the Africa region
• Strengthening public health laboratories in the WHO African region: a critical need for disease surveillance and control
• Iodine deficiency disorders in the who African region: situation analysis and way forward
• Patient safety in African health services: issues and solutions
• Implementation of the oral health strategy: update and way forward. 
  And others

The Regional Director further assured the committee of the AFRO Secretariat’s availability to facilitate the discussions and the deliberations.