Mauritius News

The Awarding Ceremony for the National Anti-Tobacco ‘Fresque Murale’ Inter-College Competition took place on 30 September 2019 at the R. Gandhi Science Centre, Bell Village in the presence of the high officials from the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research and WHO Representative in Mauritius, Dr Laurent Musango. Dr Bhoshun Ori, Director Health Services during his welcome address recalled that the National Anti-Tobacco Mural Painting Inter-Collage Competition was organized in June 2019 in the context of the World No-Tobacco Day 2019.  The aim of the competition was to deter the very first puff among young school youth.  A total of twenty-two private and public secondary schools registered for the competition.  Students in group of 5 to 8, led by their respective teachers, conceptualized mural painting at their respective schools according to the technical guidelines set.  A panel of juries comprising technical officers from the ministries of Health and Education, chaired by Dr Ori, Director Health Services, reviewed and assessed the entries based on well-defined criteria which include creativity, relevance and presentation among others. Dr Laurent Musango, WHO Representative in Mauritius, during his speech, congratulated all the students who participated in the competition.  ‘You are winners in this competition’, he told the students present.  During the competition, you have sensitized your peers and everyone at schools on the harmful effects of smoking.  ‘Young people underestimate the likelihood of becoming addicted to nicotine when they first tried to smoke’, emphasized Dr Musango. 

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the WHO Africa Region discussed Pooled Procurement Programme to reduce costs and improve access to quality medicines during a First Technical Meeting held in Mauritius from 16 to 18 July 2019. Directors Pharmaceutical Services, Heads of regulatory and procurements agencies, finance experts and other key stakeholders from SIDS countries of the African Region, namely Cabo Verde, Comoros, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe and Seychelles participated in this important meeting. Madagascar also joined the meeting which aimed at building consensus towards the effective implementation of the SIDS Pooled Procurement Program in line with the Seychelles Declaration of September 2017 wherein Health Ministers expressed interest to implement a Pooled Procurement mechanism.

The Prime Minister Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth presented on 11 June 2019 the National Budget for year2019-2020.  According to Hon. P. K. Jugnauth, the 2019-2020 is a budget that speaks to the aspirations of youth, men and women and above all, to the well-being of the Mauritian population. The Government of Mauritius is placing high priority on improving health and the well-being of the population, especially by addressing Noncommunicable Diseases, and this is reflected in some of the majors decisions announced by the Prime Minister

The efforts made by the Republic of Mauritius and its commitment and leadership in the African Region were recognized by the World Health Organization during the World No-Tobacco Day 2019.   Dr Hon Anwar Husnoo, Minister of Health and Quality of Life received the ‘Certificate of Appreciation’ from Dr Laurent Musango, WHO Representative in Mauritius on behalf of Dr Tedros, Director General and Dr Moeti, Regional Director of the World Health Organization during the celebration of the event on 30 May 2019 at S. Virahsawmy State Secondary School in Rivière du Rempart. 

All were set for the members of the public present at Roche Bois Youth Centre to start the road cycling activity ‘Pédaler en toute securité', organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders on 13 May 2019.  The objectives of the activity were to encourage the population to practice cycling on a regular basis as a leisure activity and for physical fitness.  It also aimed at creating public awareness on road safety and cycling as a safe and healthy form of transportation.   Hon. Mr Stephan Toussaint, Minister of Youth and Sports, Lord Mayor of Port Louis, Mr Daniel Laurent and Dr Laurent Musango, WHO Representative in Mauritius, all dressed in sports-wear and on their bike, started the cycling trip from Roche Bois Youth Centre to City Centre in  Port Louis.  People from different age groups responded positively to the invitation and cycled some 14 kilometres in the streets of Port Louis.

The UNCT Family Retreat, held at the Savoy Hotel in the idyllic island of Seychelles, spread over one week, with the participation of delegates from diverse UN Organisations and Government Officials uniting for the first time to achieve as ‘Delivering as One’.  The retreat aimed at building on the lessons learnt from the previous years, agreeing on the UNCT’s collective strategic engagement within the context of regional framework, UN reform and support both countries to achieve SDGs.   Given the high level of engagement of the stakeholders and the regional dimension of the event, the UNCT retreat this year welcomed a panoply of personalities namely, Heads of Agencies, Agencies Focal Persons, Regional Directors, Regional Coordinators and WHO Representatives from four countries of the sub-region.

His Excellency, the President of Seychelles, Mr Danny Faure welcomed the UN delegation for a courtesy visit in the morning of Tuesday April 16, 2019 at the State House of Seychelles. H.E. Mr D. Faure acknowledged the commitment of the UN delegation, lead respectively by Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, Regional Director, East and Southern Africa of UNFPA and Her Excellency Ambassador Christine Umutoni, UN Resident Coordinator for Mauritius and Seychelles. The delegation also comprised Regional Directors from UNESCO and UNWTO, and Heads of UN agencies of four countries namely Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles who will participate in the UN Retreat.

The Seasonal Influence Vaccination Programme for 2019 was officially launched on 11 April 2019 by Dr Hon. Anwar Husnoo, Minister of Health and Quality of Life at Dr. Hyderkhan Mediclinic in Plaine-Verte, Mauritius. The event was attended by the general population and other relevant personalities including Dr. Laurent Musango, WHO Representative in Mauritius who sets the example by receiving the first influenza vaccine for this year-round. In his speech, Dr Hon A. Husnoo, Health Minister, pointed out that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends influenza vaccinations be offered on a routine basis every year, particularly to people at risk of influenza complications and those who live with or care for individuals at risk, as influenza is highly contagious and can rapidly spiral into serious impediments.  He added that the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life is targeting people at risk of influenza complications, but all citizens can benefit from the seasonal influenza vaccination programme as a preventive measure.

April 10, 2019. WCO Port Louis. World Health Day 2019 was celebrated on April 08 at the Trianon Convention Centre in Quatre Bornes, Mauritius. This year emphasis was laid on the theme, ‘Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere.’ In attendance, Dr Hon. Pravind Jugnauth, Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius, showing great personal commitment in the fight against NCDs.  The latter launched the Non-Communicable Diseases and Risk Factors booklet on that occasion.  Dr Hon. P. Jugnauth is actively participating in the National Sensitization Campaign since the celebration of the World Mental Health Day in 2017. Also in attendance, Dr. Laurent Musango, WHO Representative in Mauritius; Dr Hon. A. Husnoo, Minister of Health and Quality of Life; Mr. D. Seesungkur, Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance, Mr. P. Koonjoo, Minister of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Mrs. L. D. Dookhun- Luchoomun, Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research and Mr. M. S. Hurreeram, the Private Parliamentary Secretary. Other attendees included more than three n students from one hundred and fifty-six schools, parliamentary officers and teachers from schools all over the island.  World Health Organization is promoting an integrated approach to tackle NCDS with the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders, including key ministries, NGO’s and civil society.