By UN Country Team (Eritrea),
A SIDE event on thd “Innovations Driving Health MDGs in Eritrea” will be jointly organized by the Government of Eritrea and the UN Country Team on the margins of the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly on 26th September at UN Conference Room #5, UN Main Secretariat.
The Eritrean Population and Health Survey (EPHS) 2010, indicate that Eritrea has made remarkable progress in health-related Millennium Development Goals (MGD). It is one of the few countries that is on track to achieve the three health MDGs by 2015.
For instance, Eritrea is one of the three sub-Saharan African countries that have reduced maternal mortality by three-quarters as at 2013. A similar trend is also observed on under-five mortality. With regards to MDG 6, Eritrea’s HIV prevalence rate has been reduced to 0.93%2. Moreover, Eritrea has significantly reduced malaria incidence. The Government and stakeholders as well as the UN have made commitments to see Eritrea move to malaria pre-elimination status.
Against this background, the Government of Eritrea wants to seize the opportunity to share its experience and lessons learned with the rest of the world through a Side Event on the margins of the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The event will provide opportunity to share the institutional and policy innovations that are driving progress on the health MDGs in Eritrea. The lessons drawn from this event would inform the articulation and operationalization of the post-2015 development agenda in the country. The Side Event will also provide an opportunity to draw on key lessons learned; and present emerging challenges for sustaining gains already achieved.
The UNGA side event objectives are:
1./ To share the Eritrean experiences, lessons learnt, best practices on the health MDGs;
2./ To learn from other countries that have performed well on non-health MDGs as well as health –related MDGs to further enhance and sustain the gains Eritrea has already made;
3./ To advocate for support towards Eritrea’s development efforts especially in areas that are still lagging behind, building on the positive progress and lessons learnt;
4./ Support Eritrea in sharing data and information regarding its development policies and performance in various socio-economic spheres.
Speakers and Presenters will include:
H.E Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister for Foreign Affairs
H.E. Girma Asmerom – Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Eritrea to the United Nations, New York
Ms Christine N.Umutoni – UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Eritrea
Ms. Yoka Brandt, the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF
Prof. Abraham Kidane- Economic Advisor, Ministry of National Development, Eritrea
Dr. Andeberhan Tesfazion, Director General – Department of Public Health Ministry of Health – “Innovations driving progress on the Health MDGs in Eritrea”
Dr. Usman Abdulmumini WHO Representative – Perspectives of a partner – the UN on health MDGs in Eritrea
