President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon speaking at the event to commemorate the 100 years of the Albert Schweitzer hospital.
President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon committed to hosting a meeting in 2013 to review progress made on the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1983 focused on HIV and security.
The announcement came during a meeting with UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé, who was visiting the country to mark the 100th anniversary of the hospital Albert Schweitzer in Gabon.
In 2011, Gabon, President of the Security Council at the time tabled the landmark Security Council Resolution 1983 which called for increased efforts by UN Member States to address HIV in peacekeeping missions. It also called for HIV prevention efforts among uniformed services to be aligned with efforts to end sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict settings.
Mr Sidibé welcomed the announcement, “Gabon has been a showcase for Africa.”
L to R: Declan Okpalaeke, Chair, Steering Committee, African Health Journalists Association, Nigeria; Irina Bokova, Director-General, UNESCO; Michel Sidibé, Executive Director, UNAIDS.
More than 350 eminent people including Nobel Prize laureates, experts in science and medicine, representatives of the private sector and civil society, as well as descendants of Albert Schweitzer attended the centennial celebration which took place between 6-7 July 2013 in Lambaréné, Gabon where the hospital is located and Libreville, the country’s capital.
Dr Schweitzer arrived in 1913 in Lambaréné, and is considered one of the greatest humanitarian physicians of the 20th century. The hospital he founded is still operating and is now one of the leading regional centers.
Participants also took part in an international scientific symposium on HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. President Bongo emphasized the need for increased use of technologies to enhance efficiency in patient care and he reaffirmed his commitment to make Gabon a regional hub, dedicated to maternal and child healthcare.
