21st January, 2008
AMREF takes African voice to the World Economic Forum
For the third year running, the African Medical and Research Foundation takes the African voice on health to the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum being held in Davos, Switzerland, from 22nd to 27th January.
“World business and political leaders increasingly recognise that without good health for their customers and workforce, we are not going to have any sustainable and meaningful economic development,” says AMREF Director General Dr Michael Smalley, who will be attending the meeting and taking part in panel discussions.
AMREF is concerned that there are presently too many unnecessary barriers that prevent poor and marginalised families from getting the quality of health care they need and which is theirs by right. And that is the message that the organisation is taking to Davos. With 50 years of experience working with African communities and governments, and as the only health development organisation from Africa at the annual forum, AMREF will be in a unique position to voice the needs and concerns of the continent’s people and discuss opportunities for business and political leaders to get involved in achieving better health.
“The serious health challenges we face in Africa can only be fixed within functioning health systems,” Dr Smalley said, adding: “It must be realised that the poor and disadvantaged communities across Africa in need of improved health care are part and parcel of that health system, not just passive recipients of what someone else decides they need. We must deliberately listen to concerns, priorities and issues of these communities.”
Recent events in Kenya have shown how fragile health delivery is for so many people, especially those living in slums like Kibera, where AMREF works. Although the Ministry of Health in Kenya has done an outstanding job in coordinating the delivery of health following the post-election troubles, there are many displaced people and even more people who remain trapped within slums unable to access any form of health care. Says Dr Smalley: “Business leaders attending the World Economic Forum have a role to play in helping improve health and health delivery for poor and marginalised people across Africa – through funding but increasingly through the sharing of practical skills and proven experience.”
An important topic at the Davos meeting will be the role of the private sector in public-private partnerships (PPPs) in health. AMREF has already played a leading role in shaping a WEF initiative using PPPs to strengthen health systems in Africa. “AMREF’s representation at the forum will continue to emphasise the role of political and business leaders in health delivery, ensuring that “we are responsive to the real needs of real people on the ground”, says Dr Smalley.
Dr Smalley will represent AMREF at discussions on the long-term future of Aids; on what it will take to stop malaria; on public-private partnerships in health; and on health and workforce productivity.