Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization , speaks in Geneva, Switzerland, January 18, 2021. Christopher Black/WHO/Handout via REUTERS
According to a statement by the WHO African Region , President of the Republic of Togo, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, opened the yearly public health gathering. Since its onset, the pandemic has had profound impact on health service provision across the African region, devastated economies, lives and livelihoods.
African Union Commissioner for Humanitarian and Social Development Affairs, Minata Samate Cessouma, said: “Investing in the health system in Africa is essential to achieve our development targets. This investment must be substantial and strategic for health and global economic security.”