Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
DELEGATES attending the 76th session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland have called for an aligned global health architecture that places the world health assembly at the centre of a coordinated response to health emergencies.
While most countries including Zimbabwe have managed to effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, they all agree that the approaches used lacked collaboration and had several gaps which resulted in massive casualties.
All the 194 member states attending the World Health Assembly presented their statements to the assembly, stating their accomplishments and recommendations towards achieving universal health coverage.
“Whilst we celebrate our collective success in containing the pandemic, Zimbabwe joins others in urging WHO and all Member States to swiftly address the many gaps and structural weaknesses within our respective healthcare systems exposed during the pandemic. Going forward, the glaring inequities which characterized the global response to COVID-19 – including imbalances in resource distribution, the unequal availability of, and access to life-saving vaccines and other therapeutics – must be rectified,” noted Minister Murwira.
“Over the years we have seen the eradication of smallpox, the reduction of polio cases as well as HIV cases and recently COVID-19. Zambia has worked hard in Improving health as well as a reduction in maternal cases. Zambia is now facing emerging and re-emerging diseases including polio and cholera,” noted the Zambian delegation.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian delegation said, “Nigeria continues to invest in the national health system towards the achievement of its national health strategy. Nigeria continues to heed the call in the fight NCDS and mental health we are only as strong as our weakest link.”
The goal of achieving universal health coverage according to World Health Organisation member states can only be achieved if countries work together.
