First of all, a good afternoon to you, and welcome to Kigali.
Thank you for the comprehensive report we have just heard.
Clearly, a lot has been accomplished during this summit.
I want us to take a moment to appreciate the extraordinary coalition that has come together in this room.
His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, who is also the Patron of Malaria No More.
Melinda Gates, whose foundation, in many ways, is the engine of global health progress.
Mr Tedros, whose extraordinary leadership of the World Health Organisation is known to us all.
Minister Shakhboot of the United Arab Emirates and Minister Aïssata Tall Sall of Senegal, who represent the commitment of governments to tackle these diseases, together.
Professor Uğur Şahin, CEO of BioNTech, with a major commitment to developing and manufacturing mRNA vaccines in Africa.
And of course, all of you, in the activist and scientific community, who have ensured that malaria and neglected tropical diseases get the attention they deserve.
I therefore congratulate the organisers: Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases, Malaria No More, and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria.
This week the Commonwealth will commit to working towards ending the malaria pandemic by 2030.
We will need your support to make this happen.
One key action item is to support the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment.
Today we are also endorsing the Kigali Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Alongside the WHO’s Neglected Tropical Diseases Roadmap to 2030, we have a clear action plan.
I am pleased that the WHO has recently confirmed that sleeping sickness has been eradicated in Rwanda.
But we still have much more to do.
Ensuring that all African countries mobilise the domestic financial resources required for quality healthcare, is a priority for the African Union, and our partners.
If there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, it is that together, through coordinated and collaborative action, we can achieve much more.
Thank you for your kind attention, and once again, most welcome to our country, to our capital Kigali.