South Africa to host over 100 health ministers
Health ministers from across the world will converge on Johannesburg for two days at the end of the month when South Africa hosts the 25th meeting of Health Ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
About 115 member states of NAM are expected with national delegations led by health ministers attending.
The general theme of discussions will be: “Health, trade and development: Aligning policy for a common goal”.
Health minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said most member states of NAM were confronted with problems of poverty and “we are united by the central concern of defining a development path that benefits the majority of our people.”
“This common perspective will inform the meeting as we examine the contribution of health to sustainable development and the wide-ranging measures that are required to achieve better health status.”
Tshabalala-Msimang, who will be playing host to health ministers from among others Brazil, India and the Phillipines, said they were keenly aware that socio-economic exclusion and inequality, in a global context as well as on a national scale, had a critical impact on the health and wellbeing of millions.
“We approach the NAM meeting with a commitment to exploring more effective South-South co-operation in order to overcome some significant obstacles to achieving good health,” the minister said.
She said the size of the gathering and the level of representation combined to make this meeting one of the most high-powered yet to take place on South African soil.
South Africa currently chairs the Non-Aligned Movement. The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Sandton Convention Centre on March 26 and 27.
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