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Health Minister attends high-level meeting on development assistance to poor countries
7 May 2008
The Minister of Health, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is in Paris, France today on invitation of the French Minister of Health, Mr Bernard Kouchner to attend a high-level international conference to discuss efforts that have to be made to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The conference entitled: "Universal health coverage, who should pay?" is expected to focus on the role that international community has made in strengthening health systems to eradicate poverty and disease and attain the MDGs.
The conference seeks to identify new perspectives to guarantee long-term funding to ensure sustainability of health systems. Strengthening of health systems was highlighted as the main challenge limiting the ability to meet the MDGs by the Countdown to 2015 Conference held in Cape Town last month.
During the discussion, Minister Tshabalala-Msimang, who is also the Chairperson of African Union Health Ministers, is expected to highlight the need for developed countries to honour their commitments on development assistance to Africa and other developing countries.
"Africa is concerned about the challenges of global commitments on development that have not yet been met. Developed countries committed themselves to devote 0,7 percent of their Growth Domestic Product to Official Development Assistance (ODA), but some of these countries have hardly reached 0,2 percent," said Minister Tshabalala-Msimang.
Issued by: Ministry of Health
7 May 2008