ACP ministers of health intensify cooperation
In the face of the many challenges posed by health development in the ACP States and regions, ACP health ministers decided to increase their cooperation when they met for the first time on 25-26 October 2007 in Brussels.
A clinic in Blantyre (Malawi), inaugurated in March 2006 by Comunità di Sant’Egidio.
© Joshua Massarenti
Their “Brussels Declaration” sought to reaffirm the importance of intra-ACP dialogue in the framework of the Georgetown Agreement – and more particularly within the ACP-EU partnership – by placing health questions at the heart of their countries’ development programmes. Under this plan, priority will be given to combating transmissible diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, particularly through the exchange of experience and best practice. The ministers also pledged to promote medical care services and treatment by strengthening current health systems, specifically for non-transmissible diseases, neglected tropical diseases and illnesses resulting from violence or trauma.
Stopping the brain-drain
A further concern of ACP health ministers is the continuing migration to developing countries (especially the EU) of highly qualified health professionals. In an attempt to reverse this trend ministers “expressed their determination” to put into place concrete strategies to “train, recruit and retain local health professionals”. Following on from this, the ACP health ministers decided to promote partnerships with pharmaceutical firms to improve affordable access to patented medicines, as well as, raising funds for research and development for new medicines or diagnostic methods.
