WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, presented her annual report on the work of WHO in the African Region between July 2022 and June 2023 at the seventy-third session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC73).

She highlighted the key achievements of WHO AFRO in the areas of health security and emergencies, health systems strengthening, Universal Health Coverage (UHC), prevention and control of communicable and noncommunicable diseases, health and well-being and environmental surveillance systems against polio.

Dr Moeti reported that the organization had supported Member States to tackle some of the drivers of inequalities to ensure no one is left behind.  Forty-three of our Member States were supported to integrate gender, equity and human rights considerations into health programmes to help upscale essential services coverage. In collaboration with partners, WHO launched “The Big Catch-up” to increase vaccination coverage to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year, she said. 

In the area of health sector governance, Dr Moeti reported that the support of WHO AFRO resulted in stronger and improved essential health service packages, national health strategic plans, HIV and malaria programme strategies being implemented by Member States.  

She also reported the establishment of three regional flagship programmes — PROSE, TASS and SURGE – as a further demonstration of WHO AFRO’s support to Member States to strengthen preparedness. In addition,  43 Member States were trained in data management and analytics, including One Health surveillance, given that risk assessment and timely information-sharing are key to improving detection, preparedness and response to public health threats.  

Dr Moeti made reference to the establishment of the subregional emergency hub in Nairobi, which has helped enhance the timely deployment of required expertise within 72 hours of emergency outbreaks, with two additional subregional emergency hubs to be launched in Dakar and Pretoria. Once fully operational, the hubs will critically expand the region’s capacity to address ongoing epidemics and identify emerging threats.

In the area of health and well-being, strengthened multisectoral action to address environmental, social and economic determinants of health have given new impetus to implementing the 2008 Libreville Declaration on health and the environment, and the framework for public health adaptation to climate change in Africa.

Furthermore, WHO AFRO supported a number of Member States to strengthen laboratory services. Dr Moeti further highlighted that all the countries in the region now have PCR testing capacity, including at the subnational level in some countries, while 90% of Member States achieved the capacity to sequence confirmed SARS-CoV-2 isolates genetically.

Moving forward, Dr Moeti said that the organization will build upon the operationalization of primary health care and fast-track the development and implementation of COVID-19 recovery plans. Furthermore, the organization will build resilient health systems to achieve health security and UHC to sustain ongoing efforts and political commitment to end polio.

In her closing remarks, Dr Moeti urged Member States to develop and implement the requisite policies and regulations to control noncommunicable disease risk factors, and to prioritize multisectoral collaboration and community engagement. Dr Moeti concluded by stating that continued support is required in the areas of research for local production, to increase equity in service delivery.

She thanked all delegate for being so supportive of the work of WHO. “I believe the WHO’s 75th anniversary will inspire us to do even more together, to protect the people’s health,” she said.