6th Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health meets in Bujumbura
ARUSHA, Tanzania, March 29, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The 6th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council of the Ministers of Health is taking place this week in Bujumbura, Burundi. The meeting running from Monday 28 March to Friday 1 April 2011 is hosted at the Hotel Source du Nil in Bujumbura.
The Sectoral Council meeting is being held through a series of meetings that started with the session of Senior Officials on Monday 28 March and ends on 30 March. This will be followed by the Permanent Secretaries session (Coordination Committee) from 30 to 31 March. The meeting concludes with the Ministerial session that opens Thursday 31 March and ends Friday 1 April 2011.
The Sectoral Council meeting will over a five-day period review the report on the progress of implementation of previous decisions of the EAC Sectoral Council on Health and the EAC Council of Ministers; consider progress reports on the implementation of various EAC Regional Health Sector Projects and Programmes; review progress in the harmonization and strengthening of EAC health systems, services and standards; and regional cooperation on health research, policy and practice.
Hon. Dr. Sabine Ntakarutimana, Minister for Public Health and Fight Against HIV and AIDS, Republic of Burundi is expected to open the Ministers’ session on Thursday 31 March.
Additional Notes for Editors
The specific subjects due for consideration at the Sectoral Council meeting include various regional interventions on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, namely: EAC Regional HIV and AIDS Programme, EAC Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Programme (Adolescent Health Project) and the EAC Lake Victoria Basin HIV and AIDS Programme (EALP).
In the area of Medicines and Food Safety, the Sectoral Council will review the EAC/GTZ TRIPS & Pharmaceutical Sector Promotion Project, the EAC Regional Project on the Harmonization of Medicines Regulation in the East African Community Partner States (2011 – 2016) and the draft EAC Harmonized Food Safety Measures and the Draft EAC Food Safety Strategic Plan of Action and Implementation Framework (2012 to 2016).
Under Harmonization and Strengthening of EAC Health Systems, Services and Standards, the Sectoral Council will, among others, discuss the development of draft EAC Regional Harmonised Criteria and Standards for the Grading, Categorization and International Coding of Public and Private Sector Hospitals and other health facilities; development of EAC Regional Guidelines for the joint Inspection and Recognition of Partner States’ National Health Professional Schools and discuss harmonization of EAC Regional Curricula and Examination Standards and Procedures for Partner States’ National Health Professional Training Institutions.
As part of the EAC Regional Cooperation on Health Research, Policy and Practice, the Council will, among others, review the draft Bill on the establishment of the East African Community Health Research Commission (EACHRC); review preparations for the 4th Annual EAC Health and Scientific Conference to be held in Kigali, Rwanda in March 2012; as well as preparations for the 1st East Africa Diabetes Summit, planned for July 2011, in Kampala, Uganda.
SOURCE
East African Community (EAC)
