The President of the Republic, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, received in audience, on August 24, 2022, at the Palace of Presidency of the Republic in Lomé, two personalities. He met first with the Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti and then with the Director General of WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. These personalities present in Lomé as part of the 72e session of the WHO-Africa regional committee, discussed with the President of the Republic subjects relating to health issues in Togo and Africa. In this sense, they hailed his leadership in this area.
At the end of this interview, the regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said that he had discussed with the Head of State Faure Gnassingbé, on the strategy for health in Africa. She noted that what is happening in Togo in terms of health is an example for other countries. Regarding the response to the coronavirus pandemic, she welcomed Togo’s strategy carried out very effectively, by a high-level multisectoral team, under the leadership of the President of the Republic.
« The level of vaccination concerning the elderly, health workers, people who have some diseases has reached, today, 40%. The primary health strategy has allowed the construction of infrastructures at the peripheral level, the increased training of health workers who are doing a lot to improve the health of the population, which means that things are going said Dr. Moeti.
The Head of State and his host Dr Matshidiso Moeti WHO Regional Director for Africa.
In addition, the WHO Africa manager noted that an impressive initiative was the subject of discussion between the ministers of health, in particular the contractualisation of health facilities, especially in hospitals, to make the management of resources available in the health system more efficiently. ” Improving the management and supply of drugs, minimizing the waste of money allocated to hospitals, is a model to follow. This will also improve the quality of care available to the population, increase the attendance rate of patients who go to hospitals where this health system is in place. “, she explained, stressing that the WHO is ready to provide more funding for the experience of Togo, which must be shared by the other States of the African Region.
For his part, the Director General of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also praised Togo’s efforts in managing the COVID-19 crisis and congratulated the health authorities, and particularly President Faure Gnassingbé, for having waged an arduous fight, which enabled the country to eradicate four neglected tropical diseases. In this sense, he encouraged Togo to do more to meet the many other public health challenges. ” We also discussed how we can work together to advance the Head of State’s vision on health insurance, the COVID-19 situation, how to increase local production of vaccines in Africa, and many other things and areas that we have identified“, he added.
Martial Kokou KATAKA
