Decision on the 1st Ordinary Session of the AU Conference of African Ministers of Health

DECISION ON THE 1^st ORDINARY SESSION OF THE AU CONFERENCE

OF AFRICAN MINISTERS OF HEALTH

DOC. EX/CL/49(111)

The Executive Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. ENDORSES the recommendations contained therein;

3. EXPRESSES its gratitude to the Government of the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya for hosting the Conference which took place from 26 to 30 April 2003;

4. EXPRESSES its appreciation to the WHO Headquarters and Regional Offices for Africa and Eastern Mediterranean, UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNECA, UNFPA, ICRC, IOM, GFATM, Rotary International and other Partners for the technical and financial support which they provided for the preparation and holding of the 1^st AU Conference of African Ministers of Health;

5. RECOGNIZES that communicable and nutrition-related diseases have hindered Africa’s economic and social development over the years;

6. REAFFIRMS all previous commitments aimed at promoting health and controlling disease in Africa, including Durban Decision CM/Dec.673 (LXXVI) on Development of Human Resources for Health in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for Action, whereby 2004 was declared as the Year for Development of Human Resources in Africa;

7. APPEALS to Member States, in accordance with the Abuja Declarations 2000 and 2001 to allocate resources for effective implementation of the recommendations of the AU Ministerial Conference and support the implementation of relevant health initiatives and partnerships such as NEPAD, GFATM, Roll Back Malaria, International Partnership Against AIDS in Africa (IPAA), Stop TB, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), and Kick Polio out of Africa;

8. REQUESTS all Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to establish Health and Social Affairs Desks to coordinate Health and Social Affairs Programmes and activities among respective Member States, in collaboration with the AU and relevant UN and other International Agencies; and to report to the Executive Council biennially on progress made in this regard;

9. APPEALS to WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNECA, UNFPA, ICRC, IOM, GFATM and other UN bodies as well as Intergovernmental and Non-Governmental Organizations to continue to support the activities of the health sector in Africa;

10. MANDATES the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, in collaboration with the Bureau of the Ministerial Conference to coordinate, follow-up and monitor implementation of the recommendations, including the convening of the “Continental Forum to Design and Harmonize Human Rights for People Infected and Affected by HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Other Related Infectious Diseases” in 2003/2004;

11. ALSO MANDATES the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union to organize the meetings of the Conference of African Ministers of Health once every two years with retroactive effect from April 2003, and to report regularly to the Executive Council on progress made in this regard.