The Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) made a strong pledge by Africa and Japan to invest in health in efforts to end infectious diseases, strengthen health systems and deliver universal health coverage.
In the final Yokohama declaration, TICAD7 resolved to invest to reinforce primary health care and promote resilient health systems, including sustainable domestic financing through enhanced collaboration between health and finance authorities to increase domestic resources for health.
Controlling communicable diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, polio and neglected tropical diseases are fundamental to African development, the conference declared. At the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan told delegates that at the G20 summit in Osaka in June, Japan had pledged new funding to fight HIV, TB and malaria and build health systems through the Global Fund that will contribute to saving one million lives over the next three years.
Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, thanked Japan and Africa for their commitment to investing in health.
“Once again, I want to thank the people of Japan and Prime Minister Abe for the unwavering support to the Global Fund and the fight against epidemics,” said Sands. “We are also very encouraged to see that under TICAD7, Japan and Africa have come up with a strong resolution on the need to spur increased domestic investments in health in Africa. The Global Fund promises its full support towards achievement of this goal.”
While calling on all partners, including private sector, to participate in the fight against diseases, the meeting reiterated its commitment to promoting universal health coverage (UHC) in Africa. Prime Minister Abe told delegates that Japan was pledging to “bring UHC to three million recipients in Africa.” The meeting called investments in health, water sanitation, hygiene and nutrition fundamental elements of human capital development.
Overall, the conference pledged to spur more private sector investments in Africa, support digital innovation, fight climate change, promote peace and stability, and support youth and women entrepreneurship, among other things.
TICAD7 comes a few weeks before the Global Fund Sixth Replenishment to be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Lyon, France, on 10 October 2019. The Replenishment has a target for raising at least US$14 billion, which will help save 16 million lives, cut the mortality rate from HIV, TB and malaria in half, and build stronger health systems by 2023. In addition, every US dollar invested in the Global Fund will have a return in broader economic gains of US$19.
SOURCE
The Global Fund
