Abidjan, 23 July 2009 -- The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis G. Sambo had an audience with the Ivorian Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Dr Allah Kouadio Rémi, at the Minister’s residence in Toumodi, about 220 kilometers north of the capital - Abidjan. He was accompanied by the WHO Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, Dr Etienne Komla Siamevi and some members of staff of the WHO Country Office. The Prefect of Toumodi was also present at the event.

Earlier, during the day, the Ivorian Minister of Health and Public Hygiene had chaired the opening ceremony of the special session on Patient Safety in health facilities within the ECOWAS Region. The session aims at adopting a regional scheme for harmonization of national strategies to improve public health security in health facilities and health systems in West Africa.

The Minister of Health said: “The main objective of the initiative is to strengthen the commitment of ministers of health of West African countries to addressing the issue of public health security by addressing its component elements of health care safety, health product safety and risk management in national health systems”.

Dr Sambo is expected to attend the opening ceremony of the meeting of Ministers of health scheduled to take place this afternoon at the Fondation Félix Houphouet-Boigny pour la Recherche de la Paix. The ceremony will be chaired by the President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, His Excellency Mr Laurent Gbagbo.

For further information, please contact:

Dr Komlan Siamevi, WHO Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, contact: 22517200,
e-mail:  wrci [at] ci.afro.who.int (wrci[at]ci[dot]afro[dot]who[dot]int)

Mr Koné Souleymane, Information Officer, contact: 22517222/07148393
e-mail: kones [at] ci.afro.who.int (kones[at]ci[dot]afro[dot]who[dot]int)
Dr Yao Theodore, Health System Officer, contact:22517228/07881457
e-mail: yaot [at] ci.afro.who.int (yaot[at]ci[dot]afro[dot]who[dot]int)