Towards the end of March, South Africa will host the 25th Meeting of Health Ministers
of the Non-Aligned Movement. There are 115 member states of NAM and, as the title of the
meeting indicates, in most cases the Health Minister will lead national delegations.
The size of the gathering and the level of representation combine to make this meeting
one of the most high-powered yet to take place on South African soil and the privilege of
playing host stems from our country's current position as chair of the Non-Aligned
Movement.
The deliberations will take place over two days, 26 and 27 March, and the venue will be
the Sandton Convention Centre in northern Johannesburg. The general theme of discussions
will be: "Health, trade and development: Aligning policy for a common goal."
Most member states of NAM are confronted with problems of poverty and we are united by
the central concern of defining a development path that benefits the majority of our
people. This common perspective will inform the Meeting of Health Ministers, as we examine
the contribution of health to sustainable development and the wide-ranging measures that
are required to achieve better health status.
We are keenly aware that socio-economic exclusion and inequality, in a global context
as well as on a national scale, have a critical impact on the health and well-being of
millions. We approach the NAM meeting with a commitment to exploring more effective
South-South co-operation in order to overcome some significant obstacles to achieving good
health.
The meeting is expected to conclude with the issuing of a joint declaration, the
content of which will have been debated during
Contact: Jo-Anne Collinge at 082 787 0202
Issued by Ministry of Health, 28 February 2001
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Last modified: 16 September 2004 10:42:11.
