The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on the international community to increase funding towards controlling communicable diseases particularly in Africa and other developing countries which host refugees.
The Organization’s Director, Department of Health and Migration Dr. Santino Severoni said communicable diseases among migrants in countries that face financial challenges remain a threat due to the rise in new infective vectors.
Speaking during an international conference on economic transformation for Africa at Mount Kenya University’s (MKU) main campus in Thika, Severoni said only through increased funding and revamping the health care systems in these countries will address this threat.
“There is an ongoing discussion on health and immigration so as to come up with policies that can help address these health challenges. We have seen an emergence in new infective vectors and due to lack of essential protection this poses more threat to the people,'” he said.
The Director, while noting that there has been a remarkable improvement in tackling communicable diseases like malaria, said chronic ailments continue to remain a major health challenge globally.
He also noted with concern the rising mortality cases from lifestyle diseases like cardiovascular, diabetes and hypertension among others and called on stakeholders to partner to tackle them.
MKU Pro Chancellor Dr. Vincent Gaitho said the WHO’s migration health discourse will provide stakeholders with a scope on the areas to invest in to tackle the health challenges.
“From the recommendations of this conference, stakeholders will be able to embrace the action areas needed to drive the future of the continent,” he said.
He also called on African governments to promote policies that discourage migration of their populace.
The University’s Chancellor Prof. John Struthers, who is also a Director at Careed for University of the West of Scotland (UWS) said the challenges facing migrants across the globe have not been articulated well enough for them to be effectively tackled.
This, he said, should be overemphasized so as to end their suffering, statements that were echoed by the University’s Vice Chancellor Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi.
Prof. Jaganyi while calling for enhanced partnership among stakeholders said there was a need to develop policies that support livelihoods and promote economic prosperity across sub-Saharan Africa.
The 8th annual international conference of the Centre for African Research on Enterprise and Economic Development (Careed) is being held under the theme, “Fostering Economic Transformation in African Ecosystems: The Impact of Trade, Infrastructure and innovation.”
By Muoki Charles
