The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States

OPENING REMARKS BY H.E. SIR. JOHN R. KAPUTIN SECRETARY- GENERAL

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON POVERTY ERADICATION AND SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS CENTRE BORCHETTE, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM 14 – 15 OCTOBER 2009

 Honourable Ministers,
Your Excellencies,
Representatives of the European Commission,
Ladies and Gentlemen

 It gives me great pleasure to make a few remarks, on behalf of the ACP Group, at the opening of this International Workshop on Poverty Eradication and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights.  

The development challenges that our States face are numerous and multi-sectoral. They require the participation of all relevant stakeholders and development partners to chart out solutions, with the ultimate objective of improving the social and economic well-being of our people.  In this regard, addressing the challenges in health development should be within the context of poverty eradication efforts and the promotion of sustainable development. It is therefore important to ensure that there is a strong political will and a major human and financial investment in development programmes to benefit the health sector of ACP States. Further, it is important that countries design health systems that are responsive to the needs of their populations, and aimed at improving access to services for the poor, in particular with respect to sexual and reproductive health.

Hon. Ministers,
Your Excellencies

The ACP Secretariat is honoured to have been part of the implementation of the  EC/ACP/UNFPA/IPPF Sexual and Reproductive Health Joint Programme, which was funded with Euro 32 million under the 8th European Development Fund (EDF) Intra- ACP Development Cooperation envelope. Indeed this Joint Programme has made a remarkable contribution in improving Sexual and Reproductive health in the beneficiary ACP States. It is therefore important to ensure that the investments attained by this Programme are sustained and extended where possible. In this regard, I wish to emphasize the need to allocate sufficient funds for the health sector in national budgets, in order to ensure sustainability of such programmes that are initially supported by development partners.

Access to health services is fundamental to the health of individuals and communities. Governments therefore must address the strategic need for all people to access affordable health services or health insurance and social protection programmes that, at a minimum, cover basic, preventive and primary medical care services as well as referral services.

Poor health is both a cause and consequence of poverty. In the least developed countries, life expectancy is just 49 years and one in 10 children do not reach their first birthday. For women in developing countries, poor reproductive health is responsible for one fifth of the burden of disease and 40 per cent for women in sub-Saharan Africa.
Poverty has many dimensions which depend on a variety of indicators, for example, levels of income and consumption, vulnerability to risks and socio/political access. There are however other manifestation of poverty such as gender, ethnicity, and other forms of social exclusion. Poor health diminishes personal capacity, lowers productivity and reduces earnings, hence contributing to poverty. A high prevalence of disease and poor health in a country harms economic performance while higher life expectancy, a key indicator of health status, stimulates economic growth. To this end, efforts must be enhanced to break the vicious cycle of poverty and ill-health that is destroying lives on a vast scale in poor countries.

Hon. Ministers,
Your Excellencies

Let me take this opportunity to call upon you, to reiterate in your relations with the donor community and development partners, the importance of building strong and sustainable health systems in our countries. It is only by doing so that our countries can make progress in attaining the targets of the relevant health Millennium Development Goals and thereby contribute to the eradication of poverty in ACP States. In this regard, let our actions and conclusions today reflect the view that the long-term impact of investment in health is of critical importance if we are to build for tomorrow.
Collectively, let us use the Mid-Term Review of the 10th EDF, to provide the social sector, including health, its rightful place in our development agenda.

In conclusion, let me wish you fruitful deliberations. I am sure the insights you will provide today with respect to Poverty Eradication and Sexual Reproductive Health, will make this International Workshop a successful and memorable event in the promotion and development of the health sector in ACP States.

I thank you for your kind attention.