Describing the continent’s health sector as “gravely unhealthy”, Mr. Kagame said money is not the most important element that Africa needs to give its people better services. “We have it all within ourselves on the continent”, he said launching the WHO conference.
Over 400 delegates are in Kigali for the four-day 59th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Region Committee up to Friday. The committee is made up of Health Ministers from 46 countries.
Also present are: the WHO Executive Director Dr Margaret Chan, former Botswana President Festus Mogae – who chairs the Champions of HIV-Free Generation organisation, and UNAIDS chief Dr. Michel Sidibé.
Backing his argument that Africa can do it alone, President Kagame told delegates that hard-work, innovation and accountability – already successfully used in Rwanda, can turn the continent’s ability to fight off epidemics. Mr. Kagame said communities must be directly involved for ownership of any initiatives.
“We are convinced of this in Rwanda”, he said, outlining the programmes his government has developed internally, including the national health insurance scheme Mutuelle de Sante.
Indicative of how the programme has worked, Mr. Kagame said amid applause, that insurance coverage has moved from 7% in 2003 to 85% last year.
The WHO chief Dr Margaret Chan had earlier touched on the same message saying that the ‘conversation on Africa’s health needs to change’ due to major global challenges such as the economic crisis. The continent, she said, must do more to address preventable illnesses because “progress is patchy, slow or entirely slow”.
“Money alone is not enough”, Chan said, as she lashed praises on President Kagame’s style of leadership as “outstanding”. Dr. Chan urged delegates to ‘maintain your renewed commitment to primary health care’.
The continent should also work to increase stockpiles of essential medication, she said, with a reference to the swine flue pandemic, which is now present on large parts of the continent.
For former Botswana President Dr. Mogae, the message was simple: HIV/Aids, calling its burden on the continent as “disproportionate”. “African leaders should accept that HIV is a leadership challenge,” he said.
His organization which includes former African leaders and other top African personalities like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, are campaigning for the adoption of mass circumcision to counter HIV spread.
Dr. Mogae said long-standing traditional practices such as widow-sharing and intergenerational sex must be outlawed as “socially unacceptable” because they are major avenues for spread of the virus.