KAMPALA – Uganda is set to host the first World Health Summit regional Africa meeting that will take place from the 27th to 28th April 2020 at by Makerere University.
This was revealed by Prof. Charles Ibingira, Principal of the College of Health Sciences of Makerere University and also the 2020 International President of the World Health Summit while paying a courtesy call on the Uganda Embassy in Berlin.
Prof. Ibingira expressed his amusement in Uganda’s hosting the summit and pointed out the health rewards that would come such.
“Although the health problems that affect us are universal, affecting people even in the developed world, it is important to acknowledge that Africa still has a long way to go in formulating and implementing better health policies for the benefit of its people. This makes a gathering like the 2020 Regional Meeting so crucial, with over 2,000 health professionals and other stakeholders in government and the private sector coming together to exchange knowledge and ideas on how to invest better in health and maximize that to create wealth for our nations. It is a no-brainer that no nation can make steady economic progress when its people are dying and battling poor health,” he said.
He noted that Uganda being the only African member of the M8 Alliance was setting fantastic precedence for the rest of Africa adding that the meeting would stir its participants to think better and work harder to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, all of which pertain to health, whether directly or indirectly.
Mr. Fred Moses Mukhooli a Counselor at the Uganda Embassy, who was representing Ambassador Marcel Tibaleka congratulated Makerere University and Uganda upon hosting the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2020.
“it would be a great honour for Africa and Uganda, in particular, to host the World Health Summit Regional Meeting for the very first time and this would not only put Africa in the limelight but would be a great opportunity for the world to focus on her health, learn from her successes, and lay strategies for future collaborations,” Mukhooli said.
The World Health Summit traditionally enjoys the High Patronage of the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, the President of the French Republic and the President of the European Commission. High Patronage
Held annually in spring, the World Health Summit Regional Meeting is organized by the Co-President of each respective year. The first Regional Meeting was held in Singapore in 2013. São Paulo (Brazil) hosted the 2014 Regional Meeting, and Kyoto (Japan) organized the Regional Meeting 2015. In 2016, this tradition was continued by the WHS Geneva Meeting. In 2017, the Regional Meeting – North America, Montreal, was held from May 8-9 and organized by University of Montreal and the Montreal Clinical Research Institute. From April 19-20, the Regional Meeting 2018 has been held in Coimbra, Portugal. In 2019, the Regional Meeting will take place in Kish Island (Iran), and the 2020 Regional Meeting will be hosted by Makerere University in Kampala.