Abuja, 4 May 2006 -- A special summit of the 53-nation African Union ended Thursday in Abuja with the adoption of far-reaching decisions to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria (ATM) three diseases which kill an estimated four million Africans every year.

The summit adopted the Abuja Call for accelerated action towards universal access to ATM services in Africa, and a resolution to achieve this by 2010. It also adopted an African Common Position to be presented to the High level Meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGASS) on AIDS in June.
In the Abuja Call, the African leaders pledged a re-dedication by African Heads of State and Government to achieve their objectives; intensify practical leadership at al levels; commit themselves to protecting human rights, and mobilize resources for sustainable financing, including negotiating for debt cancellation, and undertake collective advocacy with multilateral and bilateral donors to end all conditionalities for external assistance (except for normal fiduciary requirements).

Other key features of the Abuja Call are the strengthening of health systems; increased attention to prevention, treatment, care and support; improved access to affordable medicines and technologies; promoting partnerships, research and development, as well as strengthening monitoring evaluation and reporting mechanisms, including more civil society and private sector involvement and partnership.

On health financing, the African leaders renewed their commitment to give greater urgency to a previously agreed target of allocating 15% of their national budgets to health; incorporating health financing plans into national development plans and frameworks, among others.

Africas Common Position to the High Level Meeting UNGASS Session on AIDS, adopted by the summit, is expected to be presented to the world body at its next sitting from 31 May to 2 June in New York by current African Union (AU) Chairman and Congolese leader, President Denis Sassou Nguesso.

Officially opening the days proceedings, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, commended African countries for the progress they had so far made in combating HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. He, however, added that the pandemics are still on the rampage with millions of people excluded from access to life-saving preventive, care and support services.

The Nigerian leader called for the institution of structures and systems for better and more transparent utilization of funds, as well as for the development of strategies for translating national level goals into community targets.

In his remarks, AU Chairman, President Sassou Nguesso alluded to the estimated 2.9 million AIDS-related deaths in Africa every year saying that Africa must stop being a reservoir of people living with HIV and AIDS.

Also speaking on the occasion, AU Commission Chairperson, Prof. Alpha Konare, outlined a number of measures Africa should take to successfully deliver ATM services. These include local production of essential medicines, partnerships at all level, greater mobilization of resources; more efficient utilization of human and other resources and ensuring accessibility, by the most vulnerable groups, to ATM services.

For his own part, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, gave a panoramic view of the successes recorded and challenges faced in tackling the three diseases in the region.

The progress made since the last summit shows that it is possible to bring these diseases under control provided adequate resources are made available to scale up cost-effective interventions towards universal access, he told the summit.

Dr Sambo added: A healthier population catalyzes development efforts; investing in health systems is therefore of paramount importance. Let us seize the opportunities brought by the national economic reforms, the African Union development agenda including NEPAD and other international initiatives as well as the Millennium development Declaration to increase resources for better health outcomes.

For more information contact:

Sam Ajibola
Tel: (in Abuja) +234 8034885996, (in Brazzaville) +242 6537022,
Email: ajibolas [at] afro.who.int (ajibolas[at]afro[dot]who[dot]int)