Opening Session
On February 7, 2024, the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI) held the first day of its Annual Meeting in Kigali, hosted by the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC). The overall event focused on Advancing Public Health, Resilience, and Sustainability. Prof. Claude Mambo Muvunyi, Director General of the host institute, opened the meeting by introducing RBC, the main implementing agency of the Rwandan Ministry of Health. The overall event focused on Advancing Public Health, Resilience, and Sustainability. Prof. Claude Mambo Muvunyi, Director General of the host institute, opened the meeting by introducing the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, the main implementing agency of the Rwandan Ministry of Health, emphasizing its role in coordinating health programs. Prof. Duncan Selbie, President, highlighted the importance of collaboration and strengthening public health infrastructure globally. He confirmed that the mission is to enhance Essential Public Health Functions and Services (EPHFs), regardless of whether countries have National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs). They both expressed gratitude to the Minister of Health of Rwanda , Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Dr. Brian Chirombo, World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative in Rwanda and to Dr. Raji Tajudeen, Head of Division Public Health Institutes and Research, Africa CDC, for attending the meeting and invited them to deliver opening remarks.
Opening remarks from WHO Country Representative Rwanda
By Dr. Brian Chirombo, WHO Country Representative, Rwanda
In his address, Dr. Brian Chirombo extended a warm welcome to attendees and expressed gratitude to the Government of Rwanda and to RBC for hosting the IANPHI annual meeting. He pointed out the importance of this event in addressing current global health challenges, particularly highlighted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Chirombo emphasized the critical need for strong public health capacities to ensure resilience and universal health coverage. He highlighted the collaborative efforts between WHO and IANPHI, including a significant memorandum of understanding signed in October 2022. He quoted WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: "To achieve universal health coverage and health security around the world, we must coordinate our efforts to support all countries in building the public health capacities needed to protect and promote health and achieve equitable access to services. The work of IANPHI and its member institutions and the impactful partnerships they forge support our shared ambition of sustainable and resilient health systems that deliver Health for All".
Dr. Chirombo went on to unveil the new guidelines developed within the framework of this partnership, which aim to strengthen EPHFs on a global scale, to develop a comprehensive and integrated approach to strengthening public health in countries. Additionally, he emphasized the essential role of Primary Health Care in achieving health security, using Rwanda as an exemplary case due to its robust Primary Health Care system. Finally, he encouraged active participation in discussions to generate actionable recommendations for strengthening national responses.
Keynote on the Rapid Developments on the Continent and at Africa CDC - Highlights of the 2023 Conference on Public Health in Africa
Dr. Raji Tajudeen, Head of Division Public Health Institutes and Research, on behalf of H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General, Africa CDC
Dr. Raji Tajudeen highlights Africa CDC's pride in participating in the conference, emphasizing its alignment with the organization's next five-year strategic plan, such as strengthening integrated health systems to prevent and control diseases, building proactive surveillance intelligence gathering and early warning systems, and ensuring robust emergency preparedness and response capability for all public health emergencies for strengthening NPHls. He underscored Africa CDC's collaboration with IANPHI over the past seven years and its role in maximizing the use of surveillance data and strengthening NPHls across Africa. Dr. Tajudeen mentioned the importance of political support for NPHls, citing the African Union's call for a new public health order and its emphasis on health workforce strengthening and local manufacturing. He recounted Africa CDC's key achievements since its creation, including responses to major disease outbreaks like Ebola and COVID-19, through the development of the African Collaborative Initiative for Advancing Diagnostics in 2020. Other successes include the creation of an African medical supply platform to give member states equitable access to life-saving tools and medical supplies, and the partnership to manufacture vaccines in Africa, which will increase the proportion of vaccines currently produced on the continent from l % to 60% by 2040. Finally, Dr. Tajudeen concluded by highlighting the success of past conferences on Public Health in Africa and by echoing H.E Dr. Jean Kaseya’s, Director-General of Africa CDC, call for concerted efforts to harness technology, embrace equity, foster collaboration, and amplify the voices of the most vulnerable to forge a resilient and equitable public health order for Africa.
Rwanda Public Health System, Current Opportunities and Challenges
By Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Minister of Health, Rwanda
The Minister congratulated Members of IANPHI for their successful response to COVID-19, acknowledging the challenges faced and the progress made. He stressed the need for continued readiness and collaboration in the face of ongoing and future outbreaks and pandemics. Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana highlighted the importance of research, diagnostics, and equitable sharing of knowledge and resources. He highlighted the imperative of resilient health infrastructure, emphasizing the need for strengthened primary healthcare services and the empowerment of community health workers as frontline responders. Drawing attention to Rwanda's pioneering initiatives in healthcare infrastructure development, including the launch of a state-of-the-art BioNTech mRNA vaccine factory, Dr. Nsanzimana urged attendees to harness the momentum of discussions into tangible, actionable outcomes. He concluded by extending an invitation for participants to explore Kigali, inviting them to witness firsthand the transformative impact of past public health endeavors on the local community, while officially declaring the meeting open.