World Bank IMF and Dev Agencies | |
World Bank IMF and Dev Agencies | |
1064 VIEWS | |
![]() |
Tuesday,
March 31, 2020 / 12:36 PM / by IGAD / Header Image
Credit: Twitter; @igadsecretariat
We, the Heads of State and Government of the
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), convening via
video-conference at the Extraordinary Summit on coronavirus diseases (COVID-19)
pandemic on 31st March 2020:
Deeply concerned by the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic which constitutes an unprecedented global health crisis affecting a
large part of the world;
Taking note of the increasing levels of coronavirus
infections in IGAD member states and the looming threat of a health crisis in
the region;
Gravely concerned by the unsustainable and potentially
counterproductive uncoordinated global responses and unconnected
country-specific measures to combat the COVID 19 pandemic;
Emphasizing the need for coordinated global and
regional leadership and approaches to respond to health and economic
implications of the COVID19 pandemic;
Recognizing the urgent need for a comprehensive
multi-sectoral, multiagency strategy that addresses the impact of COVID-19 on
all sectors especially health and the economy;
Acknowledging the central role and the proactive
support of the African Union and its Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(Africa CDC) through capacitation of healthcare providers and emergency
response teams, as well as provision of medical supplies including testing
kits;
Further Acknowledging the extraordinary sacrifices
made by health care delivery workers across the world and in the IGAD region to
combat the COVID-19 pandemic;
Appreciating the swift action taken by all the IGAD
Heads of State and Government to contain and combat the spread of the
Coronavirus;
Recognizing the efforts and initiative of the H.E.
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, chair of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of
Government to mobilize support from the international community to combat
COVID-19 in the IGAD region;
Supporting the efforts of the Prime Minister of the
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia H.E. Abiy Ahmed Ali to galvanize the
international community towards formulating a global strategy to tackle the
human and economic cost of the coronavirus scourge;
Cognizant that the COVID-19 crisis comes at a time
when the IGAD region has barely recovered from the first round of the worst
desert locust invasion in 25 years with a second invasion is on its way threatening
to severely affect livelihoods in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Somalia;
Welcoming the intervention of the Prime Minister of
the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia H.E. Abiy Ahmed Ali to mobilize
international support for the IGAD region and the generous donation of medical
supplies, laboratory testing kits and personal protective equipment (PPE) from
the founder and director of the of the Alibaba Group to African Countries
including IGAD Member States;
Commending the extraordinary efforts of the World
Health Organization to coordinate global and regional responses to the COVID-19
pandemic including support to the national health systems of IGAD countries;
Appreciating the support from the international
community towards preventing the spread of the Coronavirus in Africa and
strengthening health systems on the continent and in the IGAD region;
Further Appreciating the tremendous efforts of
stakeholders that have ensured the continuity of supply chains and provision of
critical and essential services for the population of the IGAD region;
We now hereby solemnly resolve to:
1. Collectively formulate a comprehensive regional response
strategy and task the IGAD secretariat to develop an accompanying
implementation plan to address the COVID-19 pandemic in the IGAD region that
also incorporates the protection of populations and special groups that face
difficulties accessing the national health systems such as IDPs, refugees and
migrants;
2. Establish an IGAD emergency fund for the control and
prevention of pandemic diseases;
3. Expedite the adoption of a coordinated, whole-of-government-approach
to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in IGAD member states;
4. Strengthen the IGAD regional mechanism for responding to the
outbreak of pandemic diseases through increased capacitation of the regional
disease surveillance, early warning and response system;
5. Hold an emergency meeting of the Ministers of Health in IGAD
to table the current needs of the region to collaboratively combat the
Coronavirus and provide projections of the infrastructural, technical and
material capacity for the duration of the outbreak;
6. Hold an emergency meeting of the Ministers of Finance in the
IGAD region to cost, budget and mobilize the monetary resources required to
underwrite the current needs of the region to collaboratively combat the
Coronavirus for the duration of the outbreak;
7. Mobilize medical professionals and support from the IGAD
community in the diaspora to join the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in
the IGAD region;
8. Facilitate an enabling environment for strengthening
national public health systems in IGAD Member States to deliver and respond to
the COVID-19 pandemic;
On Support from the International Community to IGAD
we;
Commit to remain actively seized of the matter.
Related News