Maputo, 1 August 2005 -- The fifty-fifth session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa is scheduled to take place from 22 to 26 August in Maputo , Mozambique .

This year's meeting of the Regional Committee, WHO's Governing Body at the regional level, will take place within the context of change in the WHO African Region, with Dr Luis Sambo taking part for the first time as WHO Regional Director for Africa .

Dr Sambo was nominated to the post by the fifty-fourth session of the Regional Committee in September 2004 and confirmed in the position on 18 January this year by the 115 th session of the WHO Executive Board.

During the session, Dr Sambo will present the 2004 annual report of the work of WHO in the African Region, highlighting progress made and challenges faced in the implementation of various resolutions adopted at previous Regional Committee meetings.

A number of health issues will dominate the agenda of this year’s Regional Committee meeting which will also be attended by WHO Director-General, Dr Lee Jong-wook; African Union Commission Chairperson, Prof. Alpha Konare; WHO Representatives in countries of the Region; representatives of multilateral and bilateral agencies, NGOs and other partners working to improve the health situation in Africa .

Notable among these are discussions on the growing burden of cardiovascular diseases; the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; a strategy for controlling sleeping sickness in Africa; progress made towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals; the status of local production of essential medicines, reproductive human cloning.

Others are tuberculosis control, human resources for health in the region, international migration of health personnel and WHO’s 2006 – 2007 Programme budget as well as orientations for its implementation.

The session will also review progress made in implementing resolutions of previous sessions of the Regional Committee. Among these are resolutions on leprosy elimination; polio eradication; integrated epidemiological disease surveillance; emergency and humanitarian action; poverty and health; macroeconomics and health, and the environment.

On the sidelines of the five-day meeting there will be a special session devoted to sustainable health financing, a ministerial round table on HIV/AIDS prevention in the Region and a panel discussion on social determinants of health and health inequalities. The round table and panel discussion aim at going beyond national positions and creating lively debates on the best possible solutions and how to share experiences.

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