Toyin Saraki welcomes progress on cooperation, health goals at Africa Union Summit

Toyin Ojora Saraki, the wife of the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives and Member, UN Women African Women’s Leadership Initiative, has welcomed the commitments to greater international cooperation and the focus on top health priorities made at the 30th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The theme of this year’s summit: “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation,” set the tone for declarations of stronger international cooperation from the leaders of the United Nations and the African Union.

In UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ address to the Opening Ceremony of the Summit, he hailed recent achievements, including the agreement at this year’s summit of a second framework on implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adding: “I strongly believe Africa is one of the greatest forces for good in our world.

“I welcome Rwandan President Paul Kagame as the new chairperson of the African Union and I extend my gratitude to President Alpha Condé for his leadership over the past 12 months.”

Responding to an official statement issued by the African Union Spokesperson, Gamal Ahmed A. Karrar, Saraki stated: “I appreciate African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat and Madame Bineta Diop, African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, for their commitment to peace, prosperity and to significantly improved health outcomes across Africa.

“I also welcome the decision of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance to add neglected tropical diseases to its annual scorecard on disease progress, which places NTDs alongside malaria and maternal and child health as the top health priorities to be personally reviewed by African heads of state every year.

“The spirit of cooperation demonstrated at the African Union Summit this year should encourage all Governments, charities, businesses and citizens to work for a brighter tomorrow.”