Health officials in African countries have blamed developed countries for their tendency of prioritizing business interest at the expense of people’s health in poor countries.
Director General for East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community Dr Josephine Kibaru-Mbea said it was worrying that rich countries always prioritize business interest.
Dr. Kibaru-Mbea was speaking at the opening of the Global Health Diplomacy and World Health Preparatory Meeting in Lilongwe on Thursday.
“The developed countries are always looking at opportunities for business. These include issues on what drugs do African need and this is used as a business opportunity for most,” said Dr Kibaru-Mbea.
She then called on African countries to shift their mindset when contributing on health related issues at global level, saying aggressiveness would help them to be heard.
Said Dr Kibaru “Africans need to be thinking in the same way, we need to improve our health and ensure that as we stand globally we also increase the market.”
Principle Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Charles Mwansombo then called on African health experts to work in collaboration at such meetings.
“Our challenges are common and we therefore have to have common approach towards such issues of health which are of importance in as far as we are concerned.
“We need new skills in how we can contribute and call for the involvement of other people in the world,” he said.
He noted, for example, globally recommendable age for vaccine for children with HIV and recommendation on when they can get the vaccine and CD4 count range as some of issues that needs to be revised.
