PHR Library

November 1, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

African Health Ministers Commit to Universal Health Care by 2015

Significant Steps toward Strengthening of the Health Workforces and Universal Healthcare Made at Second Conference of African Ministers of Health

At a biennial meeting in Gaborone, Botswana, in October 2005, African health ministers have made an important set of commitments, which are expected to be adopted by the African Union heads of state in January 2006. Most significantly, the health ministers have committed to universal access to health care, including care and treatment, by 2015. The ministers recognized that to achieve this and other goals, health systems must be pro-poor, and accordingly, have committed to the development of pro-poor health systems. The ministers also recognized that to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and universal access to health care, health systems and health workforces must be strengthened. In one important step to strengthening health workforces, the health ministers committed to prepare costed plans on developing their health workforces. Such plans are now too often lacking. These plans will be the roadmaps on how to develop the health workers without whom the vital goal of universal access cannot be achieved. It is critical that the United States and other wealthy nations provide their full support to the development and implementation of these plans, and the broader goal of universal access to care and treatment. The removal of health user fees will also be critical to achieve this goal, and should receive the full support of the international community.

Related Links

Gaborone Declaration [pdf format]

Planning for Health Systems to Meet the Millennium Development Goals: [pdf format] 

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) mobilizes the health professions to advance the health and dignity of all people by protecting human rights. As a founding member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, PHR shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.