Online Reporter
Zvamaida Murwira
Senior Reporter
THE Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention wants President Mnangagwa to be part of the organisation’s eminent committee responsible for its strategic and policy direction in recognition of the huge strides Zimbabwe has covered in the health sector.
This was said by Africa CDC director general, Dr Jean Kaseya, while briefing journalists after paying a courtesy call on the President in Harare yesterday.
The organisation is a specialised technical institution of the African Union that strengthens member states’ health systems to detect, prevent, control and respond to diseases and emergencies.
It acts as a continental hub for surveillance, laboratory networks, emergency response and public health research.
Dr Kaseya noted President Mnangagwa’s role in the country’s health sector in advancing resilient healthcare systems, which they want replicated across the continent.
“We, in Africa CDC, and in African Union, are there to celebrate the success, what our leaders are doing. His excellency, President Mnangagwa, is a strong voice in Africa, and you know that in 2024, he organised for the first time an international conference on climate change and health,” said Dr Kaseya.
“This region and the whole continent, we are affected by cholera, Ebola and so many other outbreaks that are coming due to climate change.
“What we say to the President, first we recognise his leadership. We came to say thank you, to see someone not just thinking about Zimbabwe, but thinking also about the whole continent and the world. For your information, this continent has more than 200 outbreaks per year, and 70 percent of these outbreaks are coming due to climate change.”
Dr Kaseya said they felt that one person who can help in moving Africa CDC in attaining continental objectives was President Mnangagwa.
“This is the first message that we came to share with His Excellency, to say, we need you. This continent needs you. And I am so glad to inform our people in Zimbabwe and in Africa that the President accepted to play a major role to support this agenda,” said Dr Kaseya.
He added that they expect President Mnangagwa to share his vision soon, which would be shared in Africa CDC journals among other platforms.
“We also discussed about the progress being made in Zimbabwe, in the health sector, building a strong surveillance system.
“We have the National Public Health Institute in place, initiatives on how to provide more funding to the health system. Sometimes you might not realise it, you might not appreciate it, but we as foreigners do,” said Dr Kaseya.
The diplomat, who is also a medical doctor, was donning a scarf resembling the national flag.
Commenting on the scarf, Dr Kaseya said he wore it because he was proud of Zimbabwe and wanted to emulate President Mnangagwa, who wears it all the time.
“I would say it’s with all pride that I am putting on this scarf. My leader, the President of Zimbabwe, wears it everywhere he goes. He’s showing to people that he is proud to be Zimbabwean. I am an African leader. I’m leading Africa CDC,” said Dr Kaseya.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Permanent Secretary Ambassador Albert Chimbindi said Africa CDC was excited by strides made by Zimbabwe in improving the health sector as envisaged by the National Development Strategy 2.
“He (Dr Kaseya) said they are appreciating what Zimbabwe has done in the health sector. We are in the process of refurbishing our health sector and Africa is looking at Zimbabwe to see how the process is progressing.
“They have also read our NDS 2 tool and they realise that the targets and objectives that are there are also in sync with the aims of the African Union, particularly the Africa CDC.
“So, with that in mind, he said it is important for the President to actually be a member of a committee of Heads of State and Government that helps the CDC to actually prepare its policies and then work towards improving the health of the African citizens,” said Ambassador Chimbindi.
Earlier on, Belarus Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ihar Marshalau bid farewell to President Mnangagwa after concluding his tour of duty.
Briefing journalists after holding a meeting with the President, the diplomat reaffirmed his country’s support for Zimbabwe’s bid for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.
Elections for the seat will be held in June this year.
Zimbabwe has since secured endorsement from several countries and is presently courting support in the Caribbean nations.
“We have informed the Republic of Zimbabwe that the Republic of Belarus will support the Republic of Zimbabwe on the election of the non-permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations, which will be held in June this year,” said Ambassador Marshalau.
Turning to the two countries’ bilateral relations, he said their cooperation was premised on solid ground.
“Now we are in the process of implementation of the third phase of the farm mechanisation facility and we are successfully supplying tractors, harvesters, grain trucks and hope that this programme will be successfully implemented.
“The relations between our ministers are also very active. During last year, we signed 12 agreements between these authorities during the mutual visits,” he said.
