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Kenya and South
Africa elected co-Chairs at inaugural Board meeting of ANDI
Addis
Ababa, 14.01.10: The Minister for Public Health and Sanitation
in Kenya, Mrs. Beth Mugo, and the Minister for Science and
Technology in South Africa , Mrs. Naledi Pandor, were jointly
elected co-Chairs of the Board of the African Network for Drugs
and Diagnostics Innovation (ANDI), at the inaugural meeting,
hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
and held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 11-12 January 2011.
The innovative co-Chair governance structure was created in
recognition of the critical need to integrate public health
research and policy with science and technology in order to
develop a holistic approach to sustainably address Africa’s
health challenges through the discovery, development and
delivery of drug, diagnostics, vaccines and other health
products within Africa . Board members representing North,
South, East, West and Central African regions, leading health
experts, the African Diaspora and key institutional partners -
UNECA (legal hosts for ANDI), the World Health Organization
(WHO), and the African Development Bank (AfDB) discussed the
strategic plans for ANDI. The European Commission have also
provided support for the establishment of ANDI.
Speaking at the opening of the Board meeting, Ms Jennifer Kargbo,
the Deputy Executive Secretary of UNECA, stressed the importance
of the private sector participation in ANDI activities,
especially in translating R&D outputs into useful products and
services that benefit the people. She emphasized that “ANDI’s
success should be measured in terms of numbers of lives saved,
jobs created and firms created.” She was delighted that the
Board had committed the political leadership and eminent experts
needed in developing this pan-African health innovation network.
T he value of establishing synergy between ANDI’s agenda and
those of the African Union (AU), NEPAD, regional economic
communities (RECs) and interfacing with fora such as AMCOST
(African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology) was
acknowledged in order to ensure the sustainability of its work
in Africa.
In her inaugural address to the Board, ANDI co-Chair Hon. Beth
Mugo noted Kenya’s commitment to supporting ANDI in promoting
and sustaining African-led health product innovation to address
African health needs through the assembly of research networks
and the building of capacity. Recalling Kenya’s joint
sponsorship with Brazil of the World Health Assembly (WHA)
Resolution on the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public
Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property, Hon. Mugo noted, “
We consider ANDI as one of the most important initiatives in
Africa in the implementation of the Global Strategy and Plan of
Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property ”.
ANDI co-Chair Hon. Pandor remarked, “It is very exciting that in
the past 5 years, African Ministers of Health and of Science and
Technology have recognised that as Africa we’re going to have to
invest in providing solutions to our problems and challenges. I
regard ANDI as a very important part of our continental response
to Africa ’s challenges.”
She continued: “I believe it’s absolutely vital that through our
own R&D, using our own intellectual resources, our institutions
and by working successfully in partnership with Africans
throughout the continent and in the Diaspora, we change the face
of our continent and reduce the burden of disease.”
Dr. Maged Al-Sherbiny, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Higher
Education and Scientific Research, Egypt , and representatives
from the Nigerian Ministry of Health reiterated their support
for the establishment of the network’s regional hubs. ANDI
Vice-Chair Dr. Tshinko Ilunga called on the Board to act as
ambassadors for ANDI and paid tribute to the high level
political leadership and cross-sector support demonstrated for
the initiative to date.
“ We are very pleased with the strong support, commitment and
leadership of the Board as well as the significant achievements
of this 1 st Board meeting ”, said Dr Solomon Nwaka, who
presently leads the ANDI Secretariat, which is now being
transitioned from TDR, the Special Programme for Research and
Training in Tropical Diseases, to UNECA.
The meeting closed with the adoption of the 2011 work plan, the
approval of the budget, the announcement of the second ANDI
Board meeting to be held back to back with the 4 th ANDI
stakeholder conference, and a donor conference in Egypt in the
4Q 2011. The Board also approved the membership of the
Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC), which will
support the technical implementation of ANDI activities.
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