African ministers begin discussions on a continental Health Strategy

Johannesburg 10 April 2007 --- African Health Ministers today in Johannesburg began consideration of a draft African Health Strategy which the African Union Commission (AUC) says would contribute to Africa's socio-economic development by improving health services and ensuring access to essential care for all Africans by 2015.

The draft strategy was presented to the 3rd Ordinary Conference of African Health Ministers, attended by delegates from over 30 countries, AUC's strategic partners, the Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank as well as development partners and civil society organizations.

Noting that Africa currently spends half of the required expenditure per capita on health, the strategy document calls on African countries to treat health systems financing as an exceptional case, removing budget caps and using time-bound renewable employment contracts.

It calls on development partners “to move towards sector-wide approaches to ensure absorptive capacity and reduce transaction costs,” and African countries to develop costed national human resources requirements which would include packages and incentives for working in disadvantaged areas.

The document also calls on African countries to conduct migration and retention studies of health workers and on the AU to facilitate an African common position on migration of health professionals from the continent, and lead engagement with OECD countries to overcome the devastating impact of brain drain on Africa's health systems.

The strategy is expected to be adopted on Thursday and presented to AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in July 2007 for endorsement.

Earlier, during the official opening, AUC Chairperson, Prof. Alpha Konare said the African Health Strategy was an expression of the African will to take its responsibilities into its own hands and a call to development partners not to tray and substitute the strategy with something else.