African governments have been urged to develop an inclusive approach to eliminate common transmissible and non-transmissible diseases in the continent.
Experts made the call at the ongoing Crans Montana Forum on Africa and South-South Cooperation in Dakhla, Morocco on Saturday.
They called for the recruitment and training of local citizens in preventive measures to curb prevalence of common disease.
Mr Phlilppe Sou, Permanent Representatives, World Health Organisation, said that educating local citizens would enable governments ensure effective implementation of healthcare policies.
Sou said that the funding of the health sector was “important but not all” the sector needed.
The former Minister of Social Affairs and Health, France, Morisol Tourraine called for the education of women in healthcare.
Tourraine explained that women were “a formidable institution for the improvement of health globally” and urged African countries to implement health programmes that facilitate women’s participation.
Morocco’s Minister of Health, Mr Anas Doukkali also called for countries to enhance cooperation and share experiences in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Doukkali also called for the development of mobile healthcare services to reach people in rural communities.
He also called for enhanced implementation of efficient prevention and control programmes to address infant mortality and eliminate infectious diseases.
The Crans Montana forum, held annually since 1986, is aimed at strengthening solidarity in the economic, social and environmental development of the continent.
It is also aimed at enhancing relationships with countries globally notably in the framework of the South-South Cooperation.
More than a thousand participants from 131 countries and representatives of 27 regional and international organisations are taking part in the forum.
Discussions at the forum include food security, sustainable agriculture, renewable energies, youth and women’s empowerment, urban global management, and the ocean economy.
