CLOSING REMARKS

BY

HONOURABLE ALEKE K. BANDA

MALAWI MINISTER OF HEALTH AND POPULATION

AND CO-CHAIR OF THE HEALTH THEMATIC SESSION

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

WEDNESDAY MAY 16,2001

Distinguished Delegates

Ladies and Gentlemen

It has been a great pleasure to be among you distinguished delegates and to have an opportunity to co-chair the Health session with my colleague from Canada, Hon. Maria Minna. To me this co-chairing has been an excellent example of how developed countries and developing countries can, indeed, must work well together on problems of global importance.

I am happy to hear from all the delegates who have spoken during the session expressing the fact that:

ill health especially major communicable diseases, HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases have devastating impact on the lives of people in the LDCs and their economies.

There is need to strengthen the health systems of least Developed countries to enable the systems respond adequately to the overwhelming disease burden facing LDCs.

Extra financial resources are required to be mobilized and made available at country level to be used for an implementation of health services. As stated by Dr Asamaa- Baah the extra resources need to be “GOOD MONEY” if we have to realize a positive impact on the lives of people in the LDCs and the economies.

There is need to have a proper partnership between the developed partners and National Governments of LDCs. It is the responsibility of national Governments in this partnership to ensure that effective policies are put in place that are geared at targeting diseases of public health importance mostly affecting the poor and the disadvantaged. It is also the responsibilities of national Governments to put in place sound financial control measures to ensure that resources are made available to health are used transparently and are used for the purposes intended.

It is my hope and belief that this conference will not end up as other conference but will result in implementation of the deliverables we have agreed.

The time for rhetoric is gone it is time for action.

Let me once again thank the UN, EU and the Belgian Govt for organizing and hosting this important meeting.

Finally, I would like to express my appreciation and that of my Government to the Government of Canada and personally to Hon Maria Minna for inviting Malawi to co-chair the session.

I thank you for your attention.