Brazzaville, 4 June 2007 -- WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, has described women as “agents of change” and stressed the need for countries to pay special attention to their needs.

Speaking Thursday at the end of a regional consultation on women’s health in Brazzaville, Dr Sambo said: “We acknowledge the important role women play in ensuring and sustaining health. We also acknowledge that women are agents of change. When women are fully involved the benefits can be seen immediately: families are better fed; and their income, savings and investments go up. Based on this we have of women and ensure support to them at all levels.

Dr Luis Sambo, renewed his appeal to African countries to take steps to reduce the maternal mortality ratio in the region where it remains “at an extremely high and unacceptable level of 1,000 deaths per 100,000 live births.

The Regional Director stressed the need to address issues which lead to the feminization of poverty; increased violence against women and children as well as factors such as economic failure and poor governance which adversely affect the health of women.

Dr Sambo illustrated his point with the proliferation of armed conflicts in the region resulting in 80% of refugees and internally displaced persons being women and children who have special health needs.

He stated that WHO was contributing to the improvement of the living and working conditions of African women through normative agenda-setting to promote the development of policies and programmes that aim to guarantee universal access to quality health services.

In addition, he said, the adoption of the “Road map” for accelerating the attainment of the millennium development goals together with a 10-year framework for repositioning family planning in the region were helping to support countries to formulate policies and elaborate programmes that are response to women’s needs. Also, the Women’s Health Strategy for the African Region adopted in 2003 by ministers of health was contributing to the aim of attaining the highest possible level of health for women throughout their lifespan.

Dr Sambo added: “There is no time to lose if we are to reach the MDGs by the target date of 2015. When women thrive, the society benefits, and succeeding generations are given a better start in life. This should be our pressing issue, around which we should mobilize all our energy and build a strong movement that will continue to advocate for gender streamlining in the decision-making processes”.

The four-day consultation , which drew 37 participants from 16 countries was attended by senior programme managers, gender focal points, focal points on women’s health in issues in governments, and officers involved in testing tools on women’s health.

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