Africa’s healthy youth to drive economy ……..Forum

Africa’s sustainable economy can only be driven by healthy youth, and the continent now has the challenge of ensuring the sound health of the youth to safeguard future economy.
At the first Africa Health Forum launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Africa and the Government of Rwanda in Kigali on Tuesday, it was established that, partnerships and stronger collaboration are critical for better access to quality, affordable healthcare for everyone in Africa.
Prime Minister of Rwanda, His Excellency Anastase Murekezi said in his opening remark: “Being healthy is the basis for all socioeconomic development, and without it nothing will work. For this reason, African countries must work together, sharing experiences, which will translate the 2063 vision of health and wellbeing into reality. I call upon our African countries to set up strategies to help them implement the resolutions from this Forum”.
Murekezi urged the vibrant private sector in Africa to invest more in the health sector; and appealed to other stakeholders to support Africa’s efforts ensuring that it is aligned with priorities.
With a rising young population, the urgent need for concrete actions to address the health of youth and adolescents will be central to the discussions at the two day forum.
Africa is the only region in the world where the population as a whole is getting younger. People under the age of 18 make up 50% of the population in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. However, despite the vitality of youth, HIV has disproportionately affected African children and adolescents. During the 30 years of the global HIV epidemic, around 17 million children have lost one or both parents due to AIDS – 90% of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa.
In addition, the growth of non-communicable diseases (NCD) in Africa has seen a rise in NCD-related deaths of 27% over the last 10 years. If this growth continues, there will be an obvious knock-on effect on the health of young people in Africa.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, in her opening address, said that Africa has the advantage “as the world is getting older, our population is getting younger.”
According to her, “There is so much potential to harness this vitality and energy to create health systems that suit all. But, we need to act now to safeguard their health by creating youth-friendly health services and encouraging healthy lifestyles,”
Moeti said, “We want our youth to not just be beneficiaries of services, but to be with us at the decision-making table as we partner across sectors for a more prosperous, sustainable future for everyone in Africa,”

Dr Moeti emphasized working with the private sector, African philanthropists and Africa’s youth to tackle these challenges to get concrete results in improving the health of African people.
‘Putting People First: The Road to Universal Health Coverage in Africa,’ is the overall theme of the forum. While Africa still has critical health issues, there have been some major improvements over the past decade and the impact of these will also be discussed at the event.