Strengthening international health co-operation in Africa through theregional economic communities

Abstract

The Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are the pillars of the African Union (AU), and have been recognized by the AU as the key vehicles for economic integration and
cooperation in Africa. The 2003 Session of the AU Conference of African Ministers of
Health (CAMH) considered and adopted, inter alia, recommendations on a proposal to
establish Health and Social Affairs Desks within the RECs. The 2003 Maputo Session of
the Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government duly endorsed the Report of the
Ministers and their recommendations. This paper represents an attempt to assess the
extent to which the 2003 decision of CAMH has been implemented. It also argues that
regional integration and cooperation should not be geared solely towards economic,
trade or political purposes (but to the social sector as well), and proposes a set of criteria
as useful starting points for determining which social (i.e. health) activities can be
undertaken at the regional and sub-regional levels. Finally, it also proposes various
programmatic options to be considered in strengthening the roles of the RECs in
regional integration and cooperation in the social sector (in the context of NEPAD), as
Health Desks are established within the RECs.

African Journal of Health Sciences Vol. 14 (3-4) 2007: pp. 104-113