The Southern African Development Community Council of Health Ministers has agreed to establish a financial hub that will help in mobilising resources to tackle challenges affecting the sector.
This was agreed at the just ended four-day meeting held in Lilongwe.
The meeting among others drew participants from the Kingdoms of Eswatini and Lesotho, Mauritius and Botswana. The council first looked at the evolution of COVID-19 in the region and agreed to keep a close eye on the pandemic to ensure that it is contained.
The Ministers also approved the SADC Regional Malaria Elimination Strategy and its implementation plan, urging member states to increase financial support to the national malaria control programmes.
In addition, the council urged member states to scale up interventions on HIV, Malaria, malnutrition and Tuberculosis.
Speaking at the end of the four-day meeting in Lilongwe, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, who is also Chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers of Health, disclosed that the council of ministers have approved the concept of the SADC Regional Financing Hub to address financial challenges affecting the health sector in the region.
“The decision has been made after observing that member states are struggling to finance health programmes due to lack of finances,” said Chiponda.
On his part, SADC Executive Secretary, Elias Mpedi Magosi said the financial pool will help to attract more resources for the implementation of health programmes in member states.
“The hub will attract more financiers and this will help member states to ably run health programmes in their countries,” said Magosi.
The SADC Council of Ministers has also recommended the establishment of a regional centre of excellence on stunting reduction and endorsed Malawi’s proposal to host the centre of excellence on stunting reduction.
Malawi assumed chairship of SADC in August this year.
Source: MBC
