Thursday, April 26, 2012

Ethiopia: Strengthening Delivery of Primary Health Care Key Enabler to Health Equity - Minister

(24, April 2012, Addis Ababa)--Health Minister Dr.Tedros Adhanom stressed the need for strengthening the delivery of primary health care service to health equity in the world.

The minister presenting paper under the theme Toward the Achievements of the MDGs in Africa and Worldwide: Global Health Equity: Threats and Opportunities at the ongoing 13th World Congress on Public Health on Tuesday.

He said strengthening country health system, enhancing community participation and engagement in health care planning, monitoring and evaluation as well as good governance and country ownership are the opportunities for health equity. The minister said enhancing global partnership, increased effective aids and minimizing the disparities between developing and developed countries should further be consolidated.

The minister mentioned, among others, strong economic growth in emerging economies, increased aids , innovation in technology and health programs, community participation and ownership , synergies from intersectoral collaboration, women empowerment and education are opportunities. Concerning the threats, the minister said financing for health, the political environment for health and shifting epidemiological paradigms are the major ones.

World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Dr. L.G Sambo on his part said life expectancy has increased globally over the last 30 years. As he quoted the WHO statistics 2011, the average life expectancy at birth was 68 years in 2009 ranging from 54 in the African region to 76 years in the region of the Americas.

He said about 59 million people died in 2008 globally almost 18.6 percent of those death occurred in the African region. Communicable diseases represent 63 percent of total death in the African region HIV and AIDS , diarrheal diseases, malaria tuberculosis and childhood disease cause 88 percent of death.

He said the risk of maternal death is highest in the African region where 620 death occurred per 100,000 live birth compared to 21 per 100,000 in the European region. The Director said concerted effort is highly needed to ensure health equity, improve basic health service delivery and attain MGDS health targets.

On the occasion, the World Federation of Public Health Associations 2012 Organizational award was given to the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) for its outstanding achievements in and contribution of the field of public health. Receiving the award, AMREF Director General Dr. Tigist Girma said her organization works in the remotest communities of more than 30 countries in Africa including Ethiopia.

She said AMREF believes that the power to transform Africa' s health lies within its communities. With a focus on women and children, the organization works with the most vulnerable African communities to achieve lasting health change. The Foundation is Africa' s largest International Health, NGO founded in 19 57 as the Flying Doctors of East Africa to provide critical health care to remote communities of East Africa.
Source: ENA (Ethiopian News Agency)
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