Global Health Workshop opens

Accra, Oct. 22, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama, on Thursday

called for increased private sector participation in maximizing financial

and technical skills and competence to tackle the scourge of HIV and AIDS,

Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria on the continent.
The government was aware of the huge untapped expertise and resources

within the private sector in areas of governance, financial management,

programme management, marketing, logistic management as well as in

monitoring and evaluation which could be harnessed towards the national

responses against the diseases.
He said it was now necessary for both government and corporate

institutions to show full commitment and strong leadership for the responses

to diseases of public health importance such as HIV and AIDS, TB and

Malaria, which the Global Fund has helped support over the past few years.

Vice President Mahama, whose speech was read for him by Dr. Benjamin

Kumbuor, the Deputy Minister of Health, at the opening of a global health

partnership workshop in Accra, said private sector participation was of

critical importance if Africa was to meet the targets set for Universal

Access by 2010 and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015.

The Workshop, under the theme: "Understanding the Global Fund:

Expanding Private Sector Participation in Global Fund Process," focuses on

maximizing the critical role of the private sector and its contribution to

the Global Fund process and their role in governance mechanisms, as

co-investors, Principal recipients and as Sub-recipients.

The 2009 West and Central African Technical workshop which was

organized by Global Business Coalition on AIDS, TB and Malaria (GBC)in

collaboration with the UNAIDS, ILO, GTZ and the Global Fund, attracted

representatives from about 70 companies from around the globe to mainstream

the private sector to the global and national responses to fight AIDS, TB

and Malaria.
Vice President Mahama said structures were already in place as part

of Ghana's National Strategic Framework for HIV and AIDS to involve the

private sector in executing the National HIV response with emphasis on

workplace HIV programmes.
"Currently there is a global trend towards establishing coalition and

networks at international, national, regional and sub-national levels in

order to maximise the benefits of synergies, "he said.

He said the Ghana Business Coalition against HIV and AIDS (GBCA) was

launched in 2006 to serve as the Private Sector focal point in matters

relating to the HIV and AIDS and ensures a more concerted and harmonized

private sector front.
Vice President Mahama said to sustain the national programmes,

there was the need to look beyond the Global Fund, to address the various

responses which would require substantial private sector investment,

political commitment and leadership, and sound exit strategies for funded

programmes, to ensure meaningful country response into medium and long term

frameworks.
He affirmed government's commitment to working closely with

the private sector and other partners in fighting AIDS, TB and malaria,

saying companies like AngloGold Ashanti in Ghana and BHP Billiton in

Southern Africa had taken the lead in working closely with the private

sector and other partners on the ground to support national HIV and AIDS

responses.
He mentioned that AngloGold Ashanti under the Round 8 Grant within

the dual track funding mechanism was partnering the National Malaria Control

Programme to implement the scale-up of indoor residual spraying nationwide.

Vice President Mahama said Ghana had created the needed momentum that

should transcend across the continent and serve as a catalyst for greater

impact in reducing the social and economic burden of the diseases.

Dr John Tedstorm, President and Chief Executive Officer, Global

Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (GBC) said bringing together

about 70 companies from across the globe, was a clear indication of the

commitment showed by the corporate business society to the realization of

the mobilization of massive resources to combat the diseases that were

impeding global development.
He said though initial interventions had yielded some results,

showing signs of progress in areas including supplies and reception of

Anti-Retroviral Therapies (ARVs) and other supports for persons living with

HIV and AIDS, as well as treatment for both TB and malaria, compared with

five years ago when such opportunities were rare.
He noted that current challenges such as drug resistance to malaria

and increased rate of new HIV infections were impeding efforts of progress

to eradicate the diseases and stressed on the need for total commitment on

the part of all stakeholders as well as civil society groups towards the

realization of the achievement of a Universal Access.

Mr Daouda Toure, UN Resident Coordinator, noted that most countries

would not achieve Universal Access by the year 2010 and the MDGs by 2015 as

there was a lot to be done.
He affirmed the UN System's commitments towards private sector

partnerships and the optimization of capital and resources to combat the

diseases.
GNA

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