A landmark step: Lesotho charts its course for pandemic preparedness with inaugural National Steering Committee meeting for the Pandemic Fund Multicountry Project
In a significant stride towards bolstering its pandemic preparedness and response capabilities, Lesotho convened its inaugural National Steering Committee (NSC) meeting for the Pandemic Fund Southern Africa Multicountry Project. This crucial gathering, held in Maseru, marked a pivotal moment in the nation's efforts to safeguard its population against future health crises.
Lesotho, a recipient country in the second round of the Pandemic Fund's regional proposal alongside Botswana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, will benefit from resources aimed at strengthening One Health Disease Surveillance and Response. This initiative, focused on combating disease outbreaks, will enhance Lesotho's infrastructure for pandemic/epidemic preparedness and response. The NSC, a vital component for the implementation of the fund, will serve as the guiding force to ensure the effective utilization of these funds for maximum impact.
The meeting was presided over by the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Mrs. Moliehi Maneo Ntene, and co-chaired by the WHO Representative, Dr. Innocent Nuwagira. The session drew a diverse and influential assembly, including head of mission from the World Health Organization (WHO) and representation from the World Bank and UNICEF. Principal Secretaries from key ministries, including Health, Agriculture, Finance, Environment, Trade, Education, Gender and Social Development, and Disaster Management Authority, were also in attendance as members of the NSC.
This broad representation underscores the cross-sectoral nature of pandemic preparedness, recognizing that effective responses require a unified, multi-faceted approach.
In her opening remarks, Mrs. Ntene acknowledged Lesotho's vulnerabilities and the need to strengthen its health systems. 'Recognizing our vulnerabilities in emergency prevention, preparedness, and response, we seized the opportunity to apply for funding through the Pandemic Fund. The successful multi-country initiative allows us to strategically address our gaps. With this newly formed, multi-sectoral steering committee, we are confident in our ability to strengthen our health systems and build a more resilient Lesotho, ensuring the health security of our people,' said Mrs. Moliehi Maneo Ntene, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health
WHO Representative Dr. Innocent Nuwagira echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of strong national leadership and coordinated action. 'The establishment of this National Steering Committee signifies Lesotho's proactive commitment to safeguarding its population. As WHO, we are committed to working alongside the government and partners, ensuring the Pandemic Fund's resources are strategically deployed to build a resilient and robust health system capable of effectively responding to pandemic threats,' reflected Dr. Innocent Nuwagira, WHO Representative in Lesotho.
A key focus of the meeting was to establish and define the functions of the NSC. Participants meticulously reviewed and endorsed the Terms of Reference (TORs), laying a solid foundation for the committee's operational framework. This crucial step ensures clarity and accountability in the NSC's role, facilitating efficient decision-making and implementation. Additionally, the meeting provided an opportunity to review and endorse the projects microplan presented by the Pandemic Fund task team. The plan outlined strategic interventions in critical areas such as early warning and disease surveillance, laboratory capacity, and workforce capacity through a One Health approach. These focus areas are essential for strengthening Lesotho's ability to prevent, detect and respond to future pandemics.
The Pandemic Fund aims to empower countries like Lesotho to build resilient health systems by investing in infrastructure, training healthcare professionals, and fostering inter-agency collaboration. The One Health approach recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health - will enable a more holistic and proactive response to emerging threats. As Lesotho embarks on this critical phase of implementing the Pandemic Fund's initiative, the inaugural NSC meeting demonstrates the nation's dedication to strengthening its health security, through collaborative efforts and strategic planning, for a safer and more resilient future for Basotho.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - Lesotho.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
10 hours ago
- Zawya
Angola takes a decisive step towards ensuring safer, more effective, and more accessible medicines and health technologies
Between June 3 and 5, the Angola Medicines and Health Technologies Regulatory Agency (ARMED), with technical support from World Health Organization (WHO) and funding from the European Union (EU), held a strategic meeting to monitor progress in implementing the recommendations made as part of the assessment of its regulatory maturity. The session was attended by 25 ARMED professionals and resulted in the drafting of the Institutional Development Plan (IDP), the aim of which is to strengthen the national regulatory system, bringing it into line with international standards, in a context in which the pharmaceutical sector is becoming increasingly attractive for investment. According to WHO Representative in Angola, Dr. Indrajit Hazarika, supervision is an essential pillar of the pharmaceutical sector, encompassing a complex network of production, distribution, and marketing medicines. Dr. Hazarika stressed that 'medicines and medical products are fundamental for access to health care, and it is essential to guarantee their quality so that the goal of health for all can be achieved'. This meeting is part of WHO's ongoing support to the Angolan government in strengthening the regulatory system. WHO experts from the Geneva headquarters and the Africa regional and national offices analyzed the Angolan regulatory system based on WHO Quality Management System principles and the international benchmarking tool - the Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT). During the meeting, the progress made in implementing the technical recommendations was assessed, and a review was also made of the actions taken following the 2022 and February 2024 self-assessment exercises. The Institutional Development Plan (IDP) was updated in this context, a strategic document that will guide ARMED until 2027. The aim is to reach Maturity Level 3, internationally recognized as the benchmark for a functional regulatory system, capable of guaranteeing the availability of safe, effective, and quality medicines on the national market. Despite the progress already made, the pace of implementation needs to be accelerated. Holding regular meetings to follow up on the IDP is key to monitoring progress, identifying obstacles, adjusting strategies, and ensuring continued alignment with international standards. In addition, these meetings also strengthen institutional commitment, promote transparency, and facilitate coordination between technical and financial partners. ARMED's Director General, Dr. Pombal Mayembe, stressed the importance of the initiative. 'At the World Health Assembly, there was extensive discussion about the local production of medicines. Angola cannot be left out of this movement. We want to reach level 3 of maturity by 2027. Is that possible? Yes, with the support of WHO, EU, and other partners, we are firmly committed to achieving this goal.' For his part, Pierre Destexhe, representing the European Union, highlighted ARMED's role in controlling the quality of the national medicines market, as well as its contribution to ensuring that access to safe, quality medicines becomes an ever greater reality in Angola, within the scope of Universal Health Coverage. The meeting, which made it possible to assess progress and draw up ARMED's IDP, represents a decisive step towards consolidating a robust regulatory system in Angola, reaffirming the government's commitment to guaranteeing the population's access to safe, quality medicines, while at the same time promoting local production based on international standards. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - Angola.
Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
The World Health Organization (WHO) Donates Mobile Water Testing Kits to Boost Angola's Water Safety Monitoring
The World Health Organization (WHO) today donated three mobile water quality testing kits to the Ministry of Health, through the Instituto Nacional de Investigação em Saúde (INIS), to strengthen Angola's capacity to monitor and respond to waterborne disease risks—especially during health emergencies such as the ongoing cholera outbreak. These mobile kits allow for on-the-spot analysis of water sources, enabling health teams to detect issues such as pH levels, chlorine concentration, turbidity, and other key indicators of water safety—without the delays caused by transporting samples to laboratories. 'In provinces like Lunda Norte, we've faced serious challenges collecting and transporting water samples from remote communities,' said Alex Freeman, a WASH and Health logistics specialist deployed to Angola with the support of the WHO Nairobi AFRO Emergency Hub 'Now, with these mobile kits, we can conduct accurate tests immediately at the point of collection, enabling faster decision-making and a more agile public health response.' As part of the rollout, nine INIS staff members were trained on the use of the mobile kits, with additional training planned for personnel from other sectors in the coming weeks. The testing kits are also a practical tool for routine monitoring in hospital settings, helping ensure safe water for patients and health workers. As part of WHO's mandate to support water quality surveillance, the kits represent an important operational boost for both preventive health efforts and outbreak response. 'This is a great example of collaboration and targeted support,' said Simão Nhassengo, a WASH specialist deployed to Angola with the support of the government of the Netherlands. 'These kits will play an important role in monitoring water safety across Angola and ultimately help prevent the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera.' The initiative was made possible thanks to the generous contributions of the European Union through European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), and the Embassy of the Netherlands, whose support has also enabled technical deployments to strengthen water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) capacity across the country. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - Angola.
Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
Lesotho leads Africa in health innovation: pilots Afro Influenza (AFFLU) Surveillance Platform
Lesotho has become the first nation in the WHO African Region to pilot the Afro Influenza (AFFLU) surveillance platform, a cutting-edge initiative aimed at boosting the country's health surveillance system. This platform, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the African region as an adaptation of the Eastern Mediterranean (EMFLU) Influenza surveillance version, is designed to enhance the collection, management, and analysis of both aggregate and case-based data on influenza and other respiratory viruses (ORVs). The AFFLU platform represents a significant leap forward in the realm of health data management. It facilitates the sharing of epidemiological and virological data, streamlines data management processes, and improves data quality across all levels of the health system. Muza Tendai, Information Systems Specialist from the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), emphasized the transformative potential of this platform. "This surveillance platform will strengthen the country's respiratory disease surveillance and enable integration capabilities with other surveillance systems and datasets. It will provide real-time and advanced data analytics capabilities, customized to regional and country-specific contexts," Tendai stated. To ensure the successful implementation of the AFFLU platform, WHO has trained 18 end-users in Lesotho. These individuals are tasked with collecting and managing real-time data at four selected surveillance sites within and beyond the Maseru district. This training is crucial for the effective operation of the platform and the accurate collection of data. Dr. Lieketseng Petcane, representing the Director General of Health Services at the Lesotho Ministry of Health, expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative. "It is exciting that we are the first pilot country of this surveillance platform in our region. COVID-19 taught us many lessons, and diagnostics were a major challenge during that time. It revealed the gaps and areas that we needed to address. This platform will strengthen our surveillance and response. This will boost our human resource capabilities as well," Dr. Petcane remarked. The AFFLU platform is expected to have a profound impact on Lesotho's health surveillance system. Malefane Thamae, Maseru District Surveillance Officer, highlighted the benefits of this development. "This will help us in the early detection of an outbreak, hence improved Rapid Response to affected areas. It will provide our office with rapid access to countermeasures, such as the provision of appropriate vaccines," Thamae explained. Lesotho's pioneering efforts in piloting the AFFLU surveillance platform underscore the country's commitment to advancing its health infrastructure. By leveraging this innovative technology, Lesotho is poised to enhance its capacity to respond to respiratory diseases, ultimately improving public health outcomes for its citizens. As the pilot program progresses, the insights gained from Lesotho's experience will be invaluable for other African nations looking to adopt similar surveillance tools. The AFFLU platform not only represents a significant technological advancement but also a promising development for improved health surveillance and response across the continent. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - Lesotho.
