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Mukudzei Chingwere in Geneva, Switzerland
World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus yesterday officially opened the 76th edition of the World Health Assembly (WHA76) amidst calls to merge policy framing and medical expertise for a sustainable and resilient global public health strategy.
The assembly is being held under the theme “WHO at 75: Saving lives, driving health for all” and comes on the back of WHO having declared the end of Covid-19 as a health emergency of global concern.
Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga is leading the Zimbabwean delegation to the WHO decision making congregation bringing together all member states for policy framing and implementation monitoring.
The theme for this year’s assembly is in sync with Zimbabwe’s national health strategy which is premised on universal health coverage of sufficient quality consistent with an upper-middle income economy as envisioned by President Mnangagwa.
Speaking to journalists after the official opening session, which was attended by President of the Swiss Federation Alain Berset and several world leaders, VP Chiwenga said the devastating effects of Covid-19 coupled with other arising health challenges had taught the world of the need for policy makers and experts to close ranks.
“The opening session has been dealing, mainly, with the pandemic which we have faced and what needs to be done. Basically, that was the message,” said VP Chiwenga.
“Yes, we have had this pandemic like Covid-19, it gave the entire world unprecedented problems and a number of activities could not be done, starting from growing the economy and going down to leisure.
“We are so happy that for Africa, we had the Mozambican President, President Filipe Nyusi speaking about the experiences of Mozambique. Combining that (Mozambican experiences) with other (arising) diseases and how his country has worked with the WHO and what they benefited.
“We also had the chair of the African Union (President Azali Assoumani of the Union of Comoros) speaking on behalf of the continent.
“So, what the political leaders must do in terms of policy and how they should work with the professionals and scientist . . . that was basically the message across the board,” he said.
VP Chiwenga was also briefed on the presentation by Federation of International Football (FIFA) president Mr Gianni Infantino who told the world the effects of the pandemic on football both as a business and a pastime.
Coming on the back of a devastating international health emergency, WHA76, could go a long way in finally having the developed well giving an ear to concerns that the world health system is skewed against the developed world particularly as it relates to the availing of key medicines.
The developed world has consistently argued that the world cannot achieve international health targets if other parts of the global village are lagging behind and this fact was laid bare by Covid-19.
In a pre-recorded message, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres conceded that the world will not achieve its health targets in individual silos.
He summed up his message by noting that a disease in one nation endangers all and that the global community can realise its objectives for health and well-being if it works together.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said the world should always keep in mind the Covid-19 lessons and also learn from experiences of WHO’s 75 years of existence.
“As we mark WHO’s 75th anniversary, we can be proud of our past achievements, but we must be mindful of lessons learned, as we transition from the emergency phase of Covid-19 and create a future where every person has access to the health services they need,” said Dr Tedros.
Online Reporter