AFR/RC59/R4 4 September 2009
REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR AFRICA Fifty-ninth session Kigali, Republic of Rwanda, 31 August–4 September 2009
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
POLICY ORIENTATIONS ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE FOR DISEASE SURVEILLANCE, PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORIES, FOOD AND MEDICINES REGULATION The Regional Committee, Having carefully examined the technical paper on policy orientations on the establishment of centres of excellence for disease surveillance, public health laboratories and food and medicines regulation; Aware of the magnitude of the burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases and the negative social and economic consequences in the African Region; Deeply concerned about the status of communicable and noncommunicable disease surveillance in the African Region; Noting that a significant number of Member States have limited capacities for effective and comprehensive disease surveillance and response, laboratory investigation, and food and medicines regulation; Recalling resolutions AFR/RC48/R2 on integrated disease surveillance; AFR/RC58/R2 on strengthening public health laboratories; WHA58.3 on revision of the International Health Regulations and WHA 61.2 on implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005); Mindful of the Algiers Declaration and the Bamako Call to Action urging the establishment of centers of excellence for research; Appreciating the commitment and efforts made so far by Member States and partners to implement integrated epidemiological surveillance of diseases, their strategy for responding to the latter and their quest for better surveillance, control, elimination or eradication and response; Convinced that the establishment of a network of reference centres for disease surveillance, laboratory investigation and food and medicines regulation will ultimately contribute to a reduced disease burden, attainment of the health-related MDGs and improved quality of life of communities in the Region;
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1. APPROVES the proposed actions aimed at strengthening disease surveillance, public health laboratories, and food and medicines regulation through the establishment of centres of excellence by Member States; 2. URGES Member Sates: (a) to conduct an assessment of existing infrastructure and human capacity as an initial step in determining whether or not the country is ready to set up a centre of excellence for disease surveillance, public health laboratories, and food and medicines regulation; (b) with the necessary resources to develop a national policy framework on centres of excellence for disease surveillance, public health laboratories, and food and medicines regulation, that will guide the establishment of these centres; (c) to sensitize other national departments and ministries to the need to create centres of excellence for disease surveillance, public health laboratories, and food and medicines regulation; (d) planning to establish these centres to strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems that will enable countries to set targets and develop measurable indicators to ensure the delivery of quality services related to centres of excellence for disease surveillance, public health laboratories, and food and medicines regulation; (e) to secure multiple sources of funding for centres of excellence in order to guarantee sustained performance; 3. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (a) to provide technical support to Member States for the development of national frameworks, implementation plans and monitoring and evaluation tools for centres of excellence for disease surveillance, public health laboratories, and food and medicines regulation; (b) to provide technical support for the establishment of a regional network of centres of excellence that will act as reference facilities for disease surveillance, public health laboratories, and food and medicines regulation in the African Region and, with time, become WHO collaborating centres; (c) to advocate for additional resources at national and international levels for the establishment of centres of excellence for disease surveillance, public health laboratories, and food and medicines regulation; (d) to report to the Sixty-first Regional Committee, and every other year thereafter, on the progress made in the establishment of centres of excellence for disease surveillance, public health laboratories, and food and medicines regulation. Eleventh meeting, 3 September 2009