BY KING’S OFFICE CORRESPONDENTS
NEW YORK, USA – Health Minister Mduduzi Matsebula held his first meeting on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to discuss strategies to eliminate hepatitis.
The meeting was organised by the UN Group of Friends to Eliminate Hepatitis under the theme: “Global Diplomacy to Eliminate Hepatitis: A Growing Coalition”.
Attendees from all six World Health Organisation (WHO) regions heard presentations from more than 14 countries and five WHO regional offices on progress towards hepatitis elimination and the importance of partnerships in meeting 2030 targets. Representatives from 15 global health organisations also presented or participated.
Nadeem Mahbub, Pakistan’s Federal Secretary of Health, announced that Pakistan would join the group’s Leadership Circle. The programme also featured a panel discussion on how African member states are contributing to global elimination efforts, led by Prof. Julio Rakotonirina, Director of Health and Humanitarian Affairs for the African Union Commission.
Interest and participation in the UN Group of Friends to Eliminate Hepatitis continue to grow rapidly. Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, the Director of WHO’s Western Pacific Regional Office, said, “We must utilise this platform.” He noted the truth of Dr Helen Keller’s adage, “Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much.”
Hepatitis is a disease of the liver, a vital organ responsible for filtering toxins from the blood, producing bile for digestion and storing energy.
The disease can be caused by various factors, including viral infections, alcohol abuse, autoimmune disorders, certain medications or toxins, fatty liver disease and inherited genetic conditions.
Viral hepatitis is an urgent global health threat, with 1.3 million yearly deaths, surpassing the deaths caused by HIV. All member states of the UN agreed on the Sustainable Development Goals to “combat hepatitis” for a safer and healthier world by 2030.
Formed under the leadership of Egypt’s permanent mission to the UN, the Group of Friends aims to enhance health diplomacy and national and international commitments to achieve WHO targets of hepatitis elimination by 2030.
In response to UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.3, which calls for the world to combat hepatitis, the UN Group of Friends to Eliminate Hepatitis creates a forum for Member States to exchange information on progress, innovations and lessons learned with other Member States, organisations within the UN system, technical experts, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
Through collective influence, the UN Group of Friends convenes UN special events and contributes to UN resolutions and other calls for action that accelerate progress towards the WHO goals for hepatitis elimination.
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Courtesy Pics)
