Public / Media Statement: SADC Ministers of Health Conference Zimbabwe; 12th to 15th January 2015.

Media Statements

Public / Media Statement: SADC Ministers of Health Conference Zimbabwe; 12th to 15th January 2015. Incorporating: Special Call on SADC Ministers of Health Conference, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe from 12th to 15th January 2015 – to commence urgent multisectoral consultations on due 2015 review and renewal of SADC frameworks on Sexual & Reproductive Health, HIV, Gender & Youth – inclusive of non-state stakeholders and civil society.   Key Findings and Highlights From Two New SADC Scorecards on Universal Health, Sexual & Reproductive Health, & HIV. Speaking to recent Southern Africa Scorecards on Universal Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and HIV, in the context of SADC Ministers of Health Conference holding in Zimbabwe from 12th to 15th January 2015, Rotimi Sankore Editor of Afri-Dev.Info stated. “The new scorecards on Universal Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and HIV, and the January 2015 SADC Ministers of Health Conference – provide an opportunity to emphasize that poor policy and investment in Reproductive and Sexual Health is still one of the biggest human security and health governance challenges facing Africa as manifested by the current state of HIV in Africa, and SADC especially.”“Despite significant progress, the unfortunate fact remains that the ten countries globally with the highest HIV prevalence are in Africa, and nine out of the ten are in SADC – with all of them still at high epidemic levels – Swaziland 27.4% prevalence; Lesotho 22.9%; Botswana 21.9%; South Africa 19.1%; Zimbabwe 15.0%; Namibia 14.3%; Zambia 12.5%; Mozambique 10.8%; and Malawi 10.3%. [Note: Uganda is the only non-SADC country amongst top 10 globally with highest HIV prevalence at 7.4%]. “In addition to high prevalence – and...

Africa’s Governance Preparedness for – New Global Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals; Implementation of ICPD Beyond 2014 Review; & The Evolving AU Africa 2063 Development Agenda

Media Statements

October 9 2014 Africa Health, Human & Social Development Information Service (Afri-Dev.Info) Media / Public Statement on: Africa’s Governance Preparedness for – New Global Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals; Implementation of ICPD Beyond 2014 Review; & The Evolving AU Africa 2063 Development Agenda – Coming up at the January 2015 Summit. In the Aftermath of the recent UN General Assembly Debates on Sustainable Development – Afri-Dev Publishes 3 Innovative Governance Scorecards on: Population, Health, Gender, Governance & Development: (Focusing on – Reproductive & Sexual Health; Total Fertility Rates; Underage/Child ‘Marriage’; Maternal & Child Health; HIV, Malaria & Immunization) Governance Capacity & Outreach: (Focusing on – Adult Literacy; Civil Registration & Vital Statistics; Households With Television; Access to Electricity; & Local Government). Governance Services & Disease Prevention: (Focusing on – Malnutrition; Access to Improved Water Source; Sanitation; & Open Defecation) Speaking to the 3 Scorecards Rotimi Sankore Editor of Afri-Dev.Info stated: “When the soon to end MDG’s were initiated in 2000 – African governments and citizens did not realise how far behind we were till the first 5 year review. However, with the Post 2015 Development Goals, and the AU 2063 Agenda – we have the possibility of informed benchmarking right from the start. Unfortunately the evidence today demonstrates that many African governments are yet to start warming up, while other regions are already on the starting blocks ready to commence the race. “Three of the most important factors determining the success of Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals and the new AU Africa 2063 Agenda will be improved governance; evidence, data and population based planning and investment; and gender equality...

Media / Public Statement on: Ebola Epidemic, Socio-Economic Implications of Inadequate Human Resources for Health, and Poor Health Financing.

Media Statements

Media / Public Statement on: Ebola Epidemic, Socio-Economic Implications of Inadequate Human Resources for Health, and Poor Health Financing. Africa Health, Human & Social Development Information Service (Afri-Dev.Info) Launches 2014 Africa Factsheet and Scorecard on Human Resources for Health September 1 2014 In a statement accompanying the new health workforce factsheet and scorecard, Rotimi Sankore Editor of Afri-Dev.Info commended the efforts of the health sectors in Ebola affected countries, ECOWAS, AUC and development partners but cautioned that: “A key reason why the World Health Organisation, Doctors Without Borders and other health groups have warned the epidemic will take months to bring under control and may affect up to 20,00 people is health worker shortages and weak health systems. Health workers are the core of every health system, but most African countries have only between 5% to 40% of numbers and required mix of health workers. And historically, levels of Health Financing have been a fraction of required investment”. Ebola, and the ongoing challenges of HIV, Malaria, TB, Neglected Tropical Diseases, Non-Communicable Diseases, Reproductive, Maternal or Child Health will not be sustainably resolved without the necessary long term population based planning, multisectoral coordination and investment across the Education, Labour, Human development, Finance, Economic development and Health sectors.” The historical underinvestment in especially the Education sectors – including poor population based and development needs planning in many African countries – has resulted in many having just a fraction of human resources required across multiple sectors for long term sustainable development. On How Health Worker Shortages Have Undermined Fight Against Ebola: “Liberia with about 4 million people has only about 50 doctors compared to over 12,000...

Statement and Recommendations from
 Non-state and civil society held on 4th – 5th July 2013 in Abuja

Media Statements

We participants at the Abuja +12 Special AU Summit consultations of non-state stakeholders and civil society held on 4th – 5th July 2013 in Abuja, Nigeria, representing Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and non-state stakeholders working in health and development, and Networks of People Living with HIV. ACKNOWLEDGE the significance of this 12th year review Special Summit since Heads of State and Governments of Africa adopted the Abuja Declarations and Action Frameworks in 2001 committing African Union Member States to take urgent measures to halt and reverse the progression of HIV and AIDS, TB, Malaria and other infectious diseases; as well as the importance of ensuring that critical elements in the HIV and AIDS, TB, Malaria and other Infectious diseases response are considered in framing Africa’s common position on the post- 2015 development agenda; RECOGNIZING that as a result of the progress made in prevention, access to care, treatment and support for the three major diseases and others’ the annual number of people dying of AIDS-related causes fell by over 32% in Africa between 2005 to 2011; significant progress has been made to strengthen preventive measures against malaria with an increase in households with long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) from 12% to 49% between 2007 and 2012; that malaria mortality rate is estimated to have declined by a third since 2000 and cases by 75% in half of all malaria endemic countries; that there is slow progress in new TB case reduction with a decline of 2% between 2010 to 2011; that TB deaths in Africa declined by 10% between 2009 and 2011 and the number of TB patients tested...