Ethiopia / Launching of the PATTEC stamps today in the AUC headquarters

 

 

Ethiopia / Launching of the PATTEC stamps today in the AUC headquarters

 

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, January 20, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The opening session of the Workshop on the finalization of work plans for the promotion and initiation of PATTEC activities in selected countries and the launching ceremony of PATTEC postage stamps took place this morning, Tuesday 20th January 2009 at the African Union Commission headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in the presence of H.E. Mr. Peter Gatkot Minister of Transport and Communication of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Dr. Elham Mahmoud Ibrahim, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy also holding the portfolio of Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, on the occasion of the opening of this Workshop.

 
 

During the opening ceremony of the workshop the Ethiopian Minister of Transport and Communication proceeded to officially launch the PATTEC stamps as an important advocacy tool in the AUC efforts to create awareness and mobilise action in the war against trypanosomiasis. The stamps will be used by the Ethiopian Postal services.

 
 

Within the framework of this technical workshop organised in collaboration with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) the representatives from a number of countries held technical discussions to finalize the work plans that were recently developed to help promote and initiate PATTEC activities in identified countries.

 
 

The PATTEC initiative came at a time when African countries were seeking and rethinking new forms of functional association; formulating new strategies and methods of work; consolidating effective cooperation; and aiming to fight poverty, hunger and disease through united action, as mentioned by the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy during the opening ceremony.

 
 

The opening ceremony was marked also by the presence of the Chief Executive of the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Mr Giorgio Rosigno and Mr. Haile Gaibre Selassie who is a PATTEC supporter and a world-renowned athlete.

 
 

 

SOURCE : African Union Commission (AUC)