Remarks by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti
Good morning, good afternoon, bonjour and welcome to all the journalists joining this press conference today, where we will turn the spotlight on the heavy toll that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take on women, and on their health.
I am pleased to be joined for this conversation by a leading woman scientist and researcher, Professor Francine Ntoumi, Founder and President of the Congolese Foundation for Medical Research. Bonjour et bienvenue Professor Ntoumi. We are also joined by Dr Eleanor Nwadinobi, the President of the Medical Women’s International Association.
A very warm welcome indeed to this important press conference, ahead of International Women’s Day next Tuesday.
There have now been more than 11 million COVID-19 cases, and almost 250 000 lives sadly lost in Africa due to the pandemic. We can report, however, that overall case numbers continue to trend downwards in most African countries following the fourth-wave peak.
Yet, for women in Africa, the pandemic’s disruptive force will be felt for many years to come.
Two years on, interruptions to essential health services as a result of pandemic response efforts are still being broadly felt. New WHO analysis shows that as many as 40% of African countries are reporting continued disruptions to sexual, reproductive, maternal, new-born, child and adolescent health services.
The consequences of this for women’s health are a serious cause for concern. One survey of 11 countries in Africa revealed that more than half saw a 16% increase in maternal deaths between February and May 2020, compared to the same period in 2019.
That statistic decreased slightly last year – to 11% - but the actual number could be much higher because home births are excluded from this data. And every additional death of a woman giving birth to a child is an unacceptable outrage.
Teenage pregnancies and incidents of violence against women are also increasing exponentially, with the situation exacerbated by pandemic-related school closures. In Kenya, according to a new paper in the British Medical Journal, adolescent girls who couldn’t attend school for six months were at twice the risk of falling pregnant, and three times more likely never to return to class.
Global statistics reveal that one in four women are experiencing more frequent conflicts in their homes. As many as 45%, that means almost half of women, have also reported that they or someone that they know has been subjected to gender-based violence since the onset of COVID-19.
The gravity and extent of these consequences cannot be overemphasized. Interruptions to health services are exacerbating women’s often already limited access to health care, especially in the African Region. And short-term measures to restore services to pre-pandemic levels are not enough.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 is also inflicting extensive economic damage, with the pandemic pushing more women and girls into extreme poverty. Predictions are that it could take almost another decade before spiralling poverty rates are restored to pre-pandemic levels.
According to UN Women, 247 million women and girls aged 15 and older were living on less than one dollar and 90 cents a day last year, due to the economic impacts wrought by COVID-19. More than half, that is 54% of them, were in Sub-Saharan Africa, and that’s a disproportionately high number considering the whole of Africa constitutes just 16% of the world’s population.
Existing gender inequities have deepened significantly too. For example, women constitute 70% of the health and social workforce, and are at the forefront of the pandemic response. Yet, in the African Region, 85% of national COVID-19 task forces are led by men.
As WHO in Africa, we urge African countries, donors and partners to dig deep to make the kinds of investments necessary to strengthen health systems. To protect women’s access, now and into the future, these systems need to be capable of withstanding future shocks, while maintaining delivery of primary health care. And gender inequity as a determinant needs to be woven into the design and delivery of interventions to improve health.
Investing in women’s economic participation, livelihoods and health is an investment in the health of future generations of Africans. Our continent cannot afford any further reversals of the fragile gains made in pursuit of equitable care for women and girls.
Another challenge looming for the continent is the urgent need to address obesity. And I mention this because tomorrow we will mark World Obesity Day, with a new WHO analysis revealing projections that cause great concern.
By the end of next year, one in five adults and one in 10 children and teenagers, in 10 African high-burden countries, are likely to be obese if robust prevention measures aren’t taken.
WHO recommends a range of priority interventions, including government regulations such as mandatory limits on energy-dense foods that are high in fats and sugar, taxing sugar-sweetened beverages, as well as promoting healthier foods for older infants and young children.
For consumers, it is important to distinguish between safe oils, and fats that threaten health. Good fats come mainly from vegetables, nuts, seeds and fish. Saturated and trans fatty acids, that can raise cholesterol levels, clog arteries and increase the risk for heart disease, are found in fatty meats, fried foods, baked goods and processed snacks.
This is a ticking time bomb, complicated by Africa’s double burden of growing obesity and severe malnutrition. Both need to be addressed at the same time through universal access to effective nutrition, which in turn requires sustainable and resilient food systems.
So, while COVID-19 continues to demand much of our attention, we must strengthen the response to Africa’s many other pressing health issues, while prioritizing women’s empowerment, engagement, and health.
I look forward very much to our discussions today, and thank you again for having joined us.