Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, Minister of Health, has pledged Ghana’s commitment to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Health for Peace Initiative at the just ended 75th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland.
In his statement for the plenary debate, Mr Agyeman Manu expressed the country’s support for the theme for this year’s Assembly: “Peace for Health, Health for Peace.”
The WHO’s Global Health Initiative (GHPI) envisions a theory of change based on equitable access to health services, health interventions that promote trust and dialogue, strive for universal health coverage, generate trust, and promote peace and reconciliation.
Mr Agyeman Manu indicated that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) could not be attained when there was no peace.
“The endorsement by global leaders in September, 2019 on Universal Health Coverage shows that there is enough political ambition and commitment by governments to increase health spending, reduce out-of-pocket payments, and inequalities by strengthening health systems based on strong primary health care,” he said.
According to Mr. Agyeman Manu, health for peace started with the provision of fair and accountable governance and social support systems to the people, creation of equal opportunities for decent livelihoods for all, and ensuring adequate security of lives and property.
He said the potential of the youth could be realised by providing them with education and employable skills, as well as leveraging technology and public-private partnerships for job creation.
He said that would help to reduce the burden of unemployment among the youth, which was a security threat. Mr Agyeman Manu said there was the need for a concerted effort at the highest level of government to promote global peace for health.
The Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly was held in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 22 – 28, 2022. It was the first in-person Health Assembly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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