Abidjan, 3 March 2016 - The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti concluded a three day official visit to Cote d’Ivoire yesterday. The visit began on Monday 29 February and was aimed at further strengthening collaboration between WHO and the Government of Cote d’Ivoire. 

On the first leg of the visit, the Regional Director and her delegation visited the refurbished Emergency Department of the Cocody University Teaching Hospital [CHU] in Abidjan. She was taken on a guided tour of the 90 bed facility which is a combined emergency and surgical department. She congratulated the Ivorian authorities on the quality of the premises, the staff and the service that she had observed. 

Dr Moeti paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr Daniel Kablan Duncan, the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire. They discussed the health challenges facing Côte d’Ivoire including the shortage of skilled health and education personnel and the Regional Director assured the Prime Minister of WHO’s support to tackle the country’s health challenges.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the visit, Dr Moeti commended the Ivorian authorities for the country’s major health achievements, “in particular, the eradication of the Guinea worm, polio and the elimination of neonatal tetanus, which attests to a breakthrough in the improvement of the health of the Ivorian people.

She reassured journalists that WHO was working with countries to improve their preparedness in the event of a Zika virus outbreak in Africa. “We are working with Côte d’Ivoire in particular on a number of specific actions that could help the country to provide a proper response,” she added.

Referring to her priorities to improve health in the African Region and other ongoing health development efforts in the country, she said: “When I was elected, I also set a number of priorities, notably universal health coverage, which is also included in the priorities of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire. There is also preparedness and response to public health emergencies. That is also a priority for Côte d’Ivoire. In fact, the Prime Minister recently inaugurated the Emergency Operations Centre, which is a major breakthrough in this area”. 

The importance of sustaining focus on the health related MDGs and SDGs was highlighted. It was also noted that the issue of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer also remain priorities for prevention.

The Ivorian Minister for Public Health and Hygiene, Dr Raymonde Goudou Coffie, hailed the excellent cooperation between Côte d’Ivoire and WHO: “We have utmost cooperation with the various levels of WHO. The priorities that the WHO Regional Director for Africa has just mentioned are in line with ours, notably preparedness and response to public health emergencies, noncommunicable diseases and human resources capacity building. We are equally reassured that we can count on the support and guidelines of WHO to improve the health condition of our people,” she stated.