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July 25, 2010
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The 15th African Union Summit opened today in the Ugandan Capital Kampala, and Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif heads the Egyptian delegation, on behalf of President Hosni Mubarak, that includes Ministers of International Cooperation, Foreign Affairs, and Health.
The summit programme includes the procedural opening session, held at 2 pm, discussing the summit main theme titled 'Maternal, Infant, and Child Health and Development in Africa'.
The prime minister gave speech expressing his solidarity with the Ugandan people on terrorism taken therein over the current month and praised the summit's main theme as women are half the society and children are the future, expressing the great importance of mothers and children health care which is directly connected with the human development in Africa.
In this concern, the prime minister praised the Egyptian efforts at the African level related to implementation of Maputo work plan decreed in 2006 and suggested the extension of such plan to 2015, especially that the African continent still suffer from health problems which require double effort for combat.
The prime minister stated that the African woman and children are most likely suffering from the armed disputes, poverty and social exclusion, something which require protection through governments, NGOs, and international partners. In this regard, Dr. Nazif welcomed the AU and UNFPA joint initiative on reduction of mothers' death in Africa.
Dr. Nazif highlighted the Egyptian efforts in promoting women's role in society, and providing protection required for children, and mentioned the establishment of the National Council for Women, and the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood. Egypt has recently witnessed great reduction in newly born death amounting to 68%, and same percent in mothers' death.
Egypt will continue supporting the African efforts through technical aids provided by the Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa, where 124 physicians from different specializations were sent to the African countries, along with medical convoys and establishment of medical centers providing health care in five African countries.
The prime minister closed his speech by referring to the importance of getting practical outcomes to raise more awareness on the summit theme, aiming at achieving the millennium goals.
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