Executive summary
A future where all people have sustainable and equitable access to quality health and education within safe and resilient environments lies at the core of global efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, recognize the importance of this vision towards ending poverty and strengthening economies. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a central promise to ‘leave no one behind’. Universal health coverage (UHC) is both the best way to achieve this and a central pillar of the SDGs.
The importance of UHC in promoting health equity cannot be overstated, and achieving it will require significant effort and continued support. The Universal Health Coverage,
Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases (UCN) Cluster within the WHO Regional Office for Africa provides critical support towards disease management through a health system-strengthening approach.
In 2023, the UCN Cluster at the WHO Regional Office for Africa provided support to the Region’s Member States and their partners to achieve their increasingly challenging goal. In April 2023, UCN and its partners brought together representatives from Ghana, Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe to discuss the integration of mental health services into Global Fund proposals, marking a significant step forward in achieving UHC, particularly for people living with HIV. Thanks to continued efforts, in May 2023, Senegal ceased onchocerciasis mass drug administration in all its formerly endemic districts, while Benin and Mali were validated as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, making them the fifth and sixth countries, respectively, in the Region to achieve this significant milestone. In July 2023, the Regional Office supported the Global TB Caucus “4th Africa TB Summit”, where parliamentarians endorsed the Nairobi TB Declaration, which calls for accelerated research and development; improved access to new TB vaccines, diagnostics, treatment and care, and other essential new tools; and improvements in domestic financing, policy and legislation.
Mauritius became the first country in the African Region to fully implement WHO’s package of tobacco control measures in July 2023. In September 2023, the WHO Regional Office launched an initiative to support better access to breast and cervical cancer detection, treatment and care services in Côte d’Ivoire,
Kenya and Zimbabwe. As part of efforts to boost integration and deliver human-centred care, at the Fifth annual meeting of the network of Buruli ulcer PCR laboratories (BU-LABNET) in the WHO African Region, held in October 2023, members agreed to expand their mandate and transitioned to the Skin NTD LABNET Platform, thereby strengthening capacity for integrated laboratory diagnosis. Following critical side meetings on cervical cancer held during the Seventy-third session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, in October 2023, the Regional Office worked with Nigeria to introduce the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into routine immunization schedules, aiming to reach more than 7 million girls, the largest number in a single round of HPV vaccination in the African Region. In December 2023, Algeria successfully interrupted the transmission of schistosomiasis, after reporting zero indigenous cases for the past three years. In January 2024, Cabo Verde became the third country in the Region to be certified as malaria-free. Meanwhile, Cameroon has introduced the RTS,S malaria vaccine into its routine national immunization schedule. This makes it the first country to do so outside of the pilot programme.
None of the success stories from 2023 would have been possible without the vital support from partners and donors. However, despite these and other gains, much remains to be done. Health system strengthening is key to identifying and resolving vulnerabilities in health care across the Region. The ability of health systems to adapt and respond to emerging conflicts or climate-driven health crises is determined by their underlying foundations. Supporting the Region to build these foundations is a significant challenge, but one that, with long-term commitment from all partners, is within our reach.
