Concord Times (Freetown)
Rachel Horner and Alimatu Fofanah
19 November 2008
Malian President yesterday said Africans must strengthen the global research for health in their countries.
Amadou Toumani who made this call at the opening ceremony of the 2008 global forum on health in Mali said that it has become necessary to ensure that malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS should not be found on the surface of the continent.
He explained that an efficient research system would be the best approach to prevent epidemics, which hinders development.
"The Bamako call lays the foundation for a better health research system in Africa, hence I implore that our efforts and imputes must be recognized and appreciated at the international level. Research centres in Africa have proven that we have qualified scientists who can find the solutions to the diseases on our continent," he said.
Toumani said: "I am standing here on behalf of all African Heads of State to declare the 2008 global ministerial forum on research for health opened and the outcome here today would impact positively in our countries."
Dr. Luis Sambo who represented WHO's director general Dr. Magret Chan said that Africa was ambitious to alleviate poverty and spread the benefits of science and technology.
She said equitable access to care was a matter of life or death, thus when equity was at stake, the health sector must take on a proactive role even if it means stepping into territories outside the domain of public health.
"The current global food, financial and fuel crisis and climate change has already begun threatening human lives and all of these crisis have global causes and consequences that affect health," she said.
She said research was needed to persuade the world that investments in health must continue as one of the surest ways and best proven routes to a stable and prosperous global society.
Walter Erdelen, UNESCO's assistant director general said there was need for Africans to work together to meet the challenges of poverty and diseases.
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