11-4-17 Addis Ababa - The Health and Social Development Section at the IGAD Secretariat organized a workshop for a regional consultation on a draft framework, coordination, and documentation to identify priority areas for 2018-2020 for TB and HIV, as well as a strategic plan for Malaria.
The two-day meeting, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia brought together delegates from the Member States, health sector stakeholders, and refugee health partners in the IGAD region. Participants were expected to brainstorm their ideas and develop their strategic plan.
"Since 2008, IGAD, along with Member States and Development Partners, have worked on improving HIV/AIDS services in the cross-border regions, together with strengthening cross-border health collaborations," said the Director of Economic Cooperation and Social Development, Mr. Elsadiq Abdalla. Citing the lessons learned, Mr. Abdalla pointed out that there was a need for the region to come up with a concrete plan. "This document will be used as a tool to improve our engagement and collaboration efforts," he said.
"The Health and Social Development of IGAD wants to take this opportunity to get ideas or strategic areas through brainstorming, for developing an integrated TB, HIV and Malaria strategic plan for 2018-2020, based on the overarching 2016-2020 IGAD strategy," said Fathia Alwan, Program Manager for the IGAD Health and Social Development.
The meeting was chaired by Mr. Zeynu Jemal of the Administration of Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRA) of Ethiopia, who emphasized the importance of working together. "As we team up to deliver the best for our beneficiaries, we shall in the process, talk about the best practices of learning from one another."