Regional meeting in Tunis of global fund to fight aids, tuberculosis and malaria

TUNIS - The 5th regional meeting of the global fund to fight aids, tuberculosis and malaria for the Middle East and North Africa, started works on Monday afternoon in the northern suburb of Tunis.

The opening ceremony was chaired by public health minister Mondher Zenaidi, Arab league deputy secretary general Chadli Neffati, global fund to fight aids, tunerculosis and malaria executive director Michel Kazatchkine, and Djibouti's health minister and member of the global fund board of directors Abdallah Abdillahi Miguil.

Several items are on the agenda of this regional meeting due to last up to next Thursday, relating to the development of partnership, the raising of funds and the boosting of the role of the civil society in reinforcing the global fund programmes.

The stress will also be put on the role of the global fund friends in working out programmes to fight against these pandemics.

The meeting is attended by over 200 participants, government officials, delegates of international and regional organizations and of the private sector and the civil society.

During the opening session was read out the address of princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of sheikh Mohammed Ben Rached Al Maktoum, who insisted on the need to raise funds to allow the global fund to carry out its mission in the best conditions and extend its coverage.

She outpointed in this regard the importance of the programmes of fight against poverty and illiteracy in the prevention of diseases.

TAP