Source: East African Community
The 7th Ordinary Meeting of the East African Inter-parliamentary Forum on Health Population and Development opened today at the Hilton Hotel, in Nairobi, Kenya.

The 5-7 November 2014 Forum is being attended by East African Legislative Assembly Members, Member of National Parliaments from the EAC Partner States as well as Heads of Family Health Division, Ministry of Health from the EAC Partner States.

The forum aims at discussing among others; reproductive maternal new-born and child health commodity security and quality assurance in the East African Community as well as accountability for results and resources with regard to women and children's health in the EAC.

In addition, the Forum is expected to critically discuss how to harness demographic dividend - a pathway to accelerate socio-economic development in the region and integrating population health and environment activities in the EAC.

Addressing the Forum at the official opening ceremony, the Chair of Inter-Parliamentary Forum Hon. Dr. Martin Nduwimana, (EALA MP), disclosed that over the past 3 years, the Forum had regularly carried out key activities thanks to the commitment of the Members and support from the EAC Secretariat, Partner State institutions and Development Partners, particularly the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as well as Norad, through the EAC Regional Open Health Initiative.

He informed the Forum that about 40% of deaths among children under the age of five continue "to needlessly die within the first month of life as if newborns should be sentenced to death immediately after delivery".

However, it should be noted that with the increasing political momentum and actions, these interventions and new technologies are becoming more and more available to the population, including those in hard to reach areas, added Dr. Nduwimana.

"I sincerely wish that all of us, especially we, MPs both at national and regional level, to continue to actively playing our part in making universal access to health care a reality in the EAC"

On her part, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Jesca Eriyo commended Inter-Parliamentary Forum as one of the most vibrant advocates for betterment of population, health and development policies in the community.

She informed the Forum that EAC Secretariat had already commenced the development of an Integrated EAC Regional Strategy on Population Health and Environment for the period 2015-2020.

In her speech delivered by the EAC Principal Health Officer, Dr. Stanley Sonoiya, the EAC Deputy Secretary General disclosed that since its inception in 2007, the Forum had continued to keep at the forefront in addressing difficult questions of health and social development, including HIV/AIDS, Control of Non Communicable Diseases, and Reproductive, Maternal Newborn and Child Health.

She noted that through the efforts of the Forum, millions of people in the EAC, particularly the most disadvantaged namely women, children, adolescents, the disabled and the poor will continue to have better access to quality health services.

"I wish to reiterate the commitment of the Secretariat to facilitate the implementation of recommendations of this meeting and strengthening the activities of the East African Inter-Parliamentary Forum on Population, Health and Development", affirmed the EAC official.

The 7th Ordinary Meeting of the East African Inter parliamentary Forum is following legislative, policy and technical learning missions made to the Republic of Burundi, Kenya and Uganda by members of the Forum from 8th to 12th September 2014 that focused on addressing various bottlenecks to Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health commodity security.

The Forum was established in 2007 as an EAC regional network drawing its membership from the General Purpose Committee of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and Committees responsible for Population Health and Development in the EAC Partner States' National Parliaments and Senates.

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