E8 MINISTERIAL SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING OF MINISTERS OF HEALTH
FRIDAY, 28th APRIL 2023
Chair, thank you very much for the opportunity to share some thoughts during this very important event. I wish to reiterate that malaria still remains a major public health concern globally and indeed, in our region. The disease continues to be a major cause of mortality and morbidity in our countries. It has and continue to negatively affect our health indicators and also impacts on our economic and social fundamentals.
Chair, malaria is a preventive and curable disease and we have the tools available to us to address this challenge. What is required of us, as a collective is to ensure that these interventions are deployed at full scale in order to reap their benefits. Allow me to encourage us to continue to deploy high impact mosquito control interventions. We also need to increase access to prompt malaria diagnosis and treatment particularly in the hard to reach areas of our countries. Further, we need to embrace new effective interventions such as new vaccines. These should be considered especially for the severely affected populations such as children in highly burdened regions. These approaches must be coupled with strengthening our surveillance systems and community engagement approaches in order to increase uptake and use of malaria interventions.
Chair, I am pleased to announce that Zambia accepts the nomination to the position of Chair to the SADC Elimination 8 for the period 2023 to 2025. We accept this with great honor. As guided by the terms of reference, Zambia will ensure the following terms of reference are duly met during our tenure:
1. Be custodian of SADC E8 Mandate
2. Preside and oversee the malaria specific agenda at the annual meeting of SADC Health Minister’s and Ministers Responsible for HIV and AIDS. This will include presentation of the annual SADC malaria report.
3. Provide leadership on the implementation of the Windhoek Declaration on Eliminating Malaria in the SADC Region. We will further support the SADC Chairperson in monitoring the deliverables of all Heads of States declaration on malaria.
4. Preside over the commemoration of sub-national and national elimination certification and malaria events.
5. Appoint the Independent E8 Secretariat Board Chairperson, ratify the recruitment of the Executive Director of the Secretariat and oversee other governance matters.
Chair, allow me to pay tribute to the immediate past Chair, the Republic of South Africa. I wish to recognize the Republic of South Africa’s leadership and commitment to the regional malaria control and elimination agenda. They led us particularly during the challenging times of the global covid-19 pandemic.
Chair, as I conclude I wish to take this opportunity to commend the continued country collaborations through the various cross border malaria elimination initiatives. We will endeavor to continue strengthening such collaborations even more. It is also our ambition and desire, that during our tenure as Chair, we will drive the malaria elimination certification agenda in our region.
I thank you Chair.
BY HON. SYLVIA T. MASEBO, MP
MINISTER OF HEALTH