The World Health Organisation has commended the efforts of some Africans countries to resolve gender disparity in the continent but said all must do more.
She said these countries have incorporated multisectoral actions for advancing women’s health through the life course in their national health development strategies.“Let us all ‘Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change’ to improve health outcomes for women and girls so they can realise their potential and contribute to transformative socioeconomic and political development in the Africa region.
This, she said, is due to significant inter-country variations in educational attainment, political empowerment, wage equality and the numbers of women engaged in professional and technical work. “Deep-seated gender, equity and rights issues are responsible for the persistently high number of HIV-related deaths, especially among young women, as well as unacceptably high rates of maternal mortality and other harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation.
The international organisation said reducing inequalities and removing barriers that exclude women from influencing development in all sectors advances food security.