Kigali, 13 June 2012
President Kagame has today received Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo, World Health Organisation Regional Director for Africa, with whom they held discussions on the health sector in Rwanda, the region and the continent at large.
Speaking to press after the meeting, Dr. Sambo said:
“Although a lot remains to be done, Rwanda’s health sector progress is remarkable in many aspects. Rwanda’s health sector has been one of the best performing in the continent in terms of implementing local health programs. For instance, Rwanda has made the fastest progress towards achieving MDG four, which is improving child health. So, our mission here is to congratulate the leaders of this country for what they have achieved, and worked together to see how we can strengthen the health sector for further progress.”
The Minister of health Agnes Binagwaho said President Kagame and the WHO Regional Director for Africa discussed issues to do with health in the country, the region and the continent:
“The President and his guest discussed strengthening of capacities in order to improve maternal health and nutrition in Rwanda. The President said Africans should start working towards building independent health systems that can respond to health crises. The President also talked about Africans building their own pharmaceutical companies because currently majority of drugs are imported from overseas, which is not sustainable”.
The WHO Regional Director’s visit to Rwanda is aimed at emphasizing WHO’s support for the United Nations Delivery as One (DaO) process in Rwanda, as well as reinforcing the United Nations Country Team and the important role of health and the WHO in Rwanda’s socio-economic development.