Uganda’s Vice President His Excellency Edward Ssekandi addresses the participants at the Conference.
Uganda’s
Vice President His Excellency Edward Ssekandi this morning represented
HE Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at the official opening of the 5th Annual East
African Health and Scientific Conference and International Health
Exhibition and Trade Fair at the Kampala
Serena Hotel in Uganda.
In
a statement read by his Vice, President Museveni commended the EAC
Secretariat and the Partner States for initiating the process of
establishing Regional Centers of Excellence
(CoEs) in the Health sector namely Nephrology and Urology in the
Republic Kenya, Oncology in the Republic of Uganda, Cardiovascular in
the United Republic of Tanzania and Biomedical Engineering and eHealth
in the Republic of Rwanda.
He
said this initiative will enhance EAC Competitiveness through highly
skilled health workforce in biomedical sciences and also enable the East
African citizens access quality
and specialized services within the region.
The
first phase of the project is expected to cost USD 72.75 million and
will be supported by the African Development Bank. The CoEs are
expected to deliver high quality
and skilled personnel in the specialized fields and reduce medical
tourism, which costs EAC Governments an estimated of USD 150 million
annually for treatment of Non-Communicable Diseases abroad.
At
the same occasion, the Deputy Secretary General of the East African
Community in charge of the Productive and Social Sectors Hon. Jesca
Eriyo, who represented the Secretary
General Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera, informed the delegates that there
was strong evidence that an investment in people’s health was a key
asset for society and for the economy as a whole.
“As
you may be aware, the Health sector is also leading in creating Job
opportunities and a driver of innovation and technology” noted Hon.
Eriyo, adding that “As such, health
systems strengthening have an important role in achieving Millennium
Development Goals to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth in the
Health Sector and Economy at Large.
The
Deputy Secretary reiterated that the overarching goal of the EAC Health
Sector Programme was to establish and sustain stronger regional health
systems including health
research institution. In this regard, the EAC official informed the
delegates that, the Protocol for Establishment of the East African
Community Health Research Commission (EACHRC) had been ratified by all
the five Partner States and instruments of ratification
have already been deposited with the EAC Headquarters.
She
disclosed that the EAC Council of Ministers and the East African
Legislative Assembly had already appropriated USD 924,067 in the EAC
Budget for the current financial
year (FY 2014/2015) to facilitate operationalization of the East
African Health Research Commission in the Republic of Burundi.
Hon.
Eriyo also disclosed that the Community had developed scorecard, tools
and indicators to track results and resources through the open health
initiative (OHI) and that
a regional data warehouse for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child,
adolescent health and nutrition had been developed and plans were
underway to expand and include data for communicable and
non-communicable diseases surveillance in order to strengthen integrated
approaches for disease prevention, control and management.
Uganda’s
Minister of Health, Dr Ellioda Tumwesigye informed the delegates that
Uganda was proud to host the conference, which was providing an
opportunity and a platform
for synthesizing, sharing and dissemination of research findings to
inform policy makers and programmers on evidence-based decision-making
and mobilization of political will and resources for the Health Sector.
Burundi’s
Minister in the office of the President Responsible for EAC Affairs
Hon. Leontine Nzeyimana saluted the EAC Partner States for initiating
the Annual East African
Health and Scientific Conference and International Health Exhibition,
and informed the delegates that her country had initiated several
measures geared towards mother and child care which includes, among
others, free treatment for mothers and children under
the age of 5.
Zanzibar’s
Minister of Health Hon. Rashid Seif Suleiman said strengthening health
care services especially primary health care in the rural areas was very
critical in the
region and that investing in infrastructure, human resources,
diagonistic services in medicine was good but most important of all was
how to deliver the health care services to the people in the region.
Health
and Social Welfare Deputy Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania
Hon. Dr. Kebwe Stephen Kebwe, who is also the Chairperson of the EAC
Sectoral Council of Ministers
responsible for Health, informed the conference that globally, 2015 was
a special year for the health sector in taking stock of what had been
achieved during the MDGs of which 3 goals (MDG 4, 5 and 6) were health
related.
He
said the Conference was an opportunity for the region to re-align
itself to the post 2015 era with regard to the health sector. “As we
review the progress made to date
and share experiences in this conference, it is important that we renew
our commitment towards enhancing health sector investments,
strengthening of health systems and the attainment of Universal Health
Coverage in the EAC”, affirmed the Chairperson of the
EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers responsible for Health.
He
noted that the momentum on regional cooperation had reached a point of
no return and the Partner States were working more closely than ever
before to improve public health.
“Apart from developing robust policies, we are implementing various
provisions of the Common Market Protocol which seeks to enhance free
movement of people, capital, services and goods across the region,
thereby improving the environment for doing business
in the health sector and beyond”.
The
Conference, themed Investing in Health through strengthening regional
health systems, and institutions towards the prevention and control of
communicable and non-communicable
diseases, is being attended by over 700 stakeholders.
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