17 December 2012, Monrovia, Liberia
- Your Excellency Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf, president of the Republic of Liberia, Honorary President of the Commission on Women’s Health in Africa and the Chairperson of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA)
- Distinguished Members of the Government of Liberia,
- The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Liberia
- Excellencies Ambassadors and Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
- Distinguished Members of the Commission on Women’s Health in the African Region
- Representatives of International Organizations,
- Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen;
On behalf of the Director General of WHO – Dr Margaret Chan, it’s an honour for me to address this distinguished audience. I wish, first of all, to express my sincere appreciation to the Government of Liberia for hosting this important event, the launch of the Women’s Health Report, the first ever developed for the African Region and the 2012 World Malaria Report.
- Your Excellency the President, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are meeting at an opportune time when the urgent need to address the health challenges facing women continues to dominate international and national agendas. The very maternal mortality ratio, the High burden of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, gender-based violence and other harmful practices, cervical cancer and other non-communicable diseases are critical barriers to the socio-economic development of women. In addition, low access to education, decision-making positions and poor economic status limit women’s ability to protect their own health. This increases their vulnerability and compromises the important role they play in their families, communities and the society at large.
What pains is that most of the challenges could be avoided if preventive measures were taken and adequate care available.
In September 2008, concerned by the very high maternal mortality and the complexity of women’s health issues and needs, the 46 Ministers of Health at the Fifty-Eighth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa adopted a resolution, requesting the Regional Director ‘’to establish a Commission on Women’s Health to generate evidence on the role of improved women’s health in socio economic development’’.
In response to this, a multidisciplinary Commission of the 16 experts was officially established in Monrovia under the leadership of Her Excellency Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf as its Honorary President.
Since then, the Women’s Health Commission , with the support of the WHO Secretariat, worked tirelessly to produce this report entitled ‘’ Addressing the Challenge of Women’s Health in Africa’’.
- Your Excellency, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
Allow me to express my gratitude to Her Excellency Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, for her role in steering the work of the Commission on Women’s Health in Africa. I also take this opportunity to congratulate the Commissions who worked diligently to gather information and data on women’s health across the life cycle, which informed the report.
The report demonstrates the enormous role of African women in social and economic development and the potential to achieve much more if they are healthier. It highlights the interplay between biological and social determinants of women’s health and argues that women’s health needs to go beyond sexual and reproductive concerns. It identifies critical actions that need to be taken to improve the social status of women and promote gender equity.
The report also points out the need to ensure that decisions impacting on women’s health are taken at the highest political level. More specifically, it calls for policy orientations, legislative frameworks and inter- sectorial actions that promote women’s health.
The importance of empowering women by educating the girl child; increasing representation of women in decision-making positions and addressing gender based cultural social barriers are emphasized in the report.
The report also gives insights into why investing in maternal and child health is a wise health and economic policy decision. It notes that women’ health is a human right. Saving a mother’s life also means saving her children, who are ten times more likely to die when the mother dies.
- Your Excellency the President, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The high disease burden in Africa continues to be matter of great concern. Malaria remains a significant public health problem that affects Africa’s development. In 2012, there were an estimated 174 million cases and 596 000 (about 90%) of malaria related deaths in the African Region. However, the past decade has witnessed a great expansion in the financing and implementation of malaria control programmes. This has enabled endemic countries to increase access to preventive, diagnostics and treatment services.
An estimated 1.1 million malaria deaths have been averted, primarily as a result of a scale-up of malaria control interventions. 12 countries in Africa have reduced malaria morbidity and mortality by more than 50% thus exceeding the Abuja 2010 targets. In spite of this progress, millions of people at risk of malaria continue to lack access to vector control interventions, preventive therapies, diagnostic testing and quality-assured artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs).
The Malaria report notes a substantial drop in insecticide-treated bed-net (ITN) deliveries. To achieve universal access, 780 million people at risk would need to have access to ITNs in sub-Saharan Africa, and approximately 150 million bed-nets would need to be delivered each year. However, in 2012 only 66 million are estimated to have been delivered.
As we move towards 2015, particular attention should be given to mitigating the risks of resistance to medicines and insecticides, as well as ensuring universal access to proven cost-effective interventions. Stronger disease surveillance systems are the eyes and ears of public health efforts to address malaria. This is a requirement for prevention of outbreaks, prompt effective response and monitoring of progress.
The 2012 Global Malaria Report, points out some worrisome signs about the sustainability of the gains achieved so far. The current level of funding remains insufficient to achieve universal coverage of WHO recommended malaria control interventions. There is an urgent need to identify and tap on new funding sources. The malaria report being launched today underscores the importance of high-level political commitment, inter-sectorial collaboration and inter-country cooperation.
- Your Excellency the President , distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
We cannot achieve further progress unless we strengthen health systems and ensure sustained and predictable health financing. Governments, partners and communities should also find new ways of improving efficiencies of health care delivery and move towards universal health coverage.
I would like to appreciate the African Union leadership and the Regional Economic Communities efforts in promoting people’s health; and seize this opportunity to express our recognition to the African Leaders Malaria Alliance – ALMA, under the exceptional leadership of Her Excellency President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
- Your Excellency, Honourable ministers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:
To collect data and information; and generate reports consolidating the evidence form all countries is not an easy task. It implies laborious team work; and I want to recognise the excellent and dedicated work led by two distinguished colleagues: Dr Tigest Ketsela – Director Health Promotion at the Regional Office for Africa who led the technical team in charge of the World Malaria report 2012. I also extend my appreciation to all concerned in the preparation of the reports including the experts, editors, publishers.
Today, as we launch these reports, it is my fervent hope that we renew our enthusiasm and bring new inputs in addressing the challenges of malaria control in the world and women’s health in Africa. The two reports show that success is possible and collectively, we can make a difference.
Thank you.