From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
A Pan-African initiative, Gallen Africa, said that it is organising an annual forum to reward medical innovators and researchers seeking solutions to the continent’s public health challenges.
President of the Gallen Africa Forum, Prof. Awa Marie Seck, while providing highlights of the forum’s forthcoming event during a webinar with journalists across African nations on Wednesday, said the continent requires innovators to identify ways of tackling health issues exacerbated by environmental problems.
“It is an initiative for Africans to find solutions to its public health problems linked to environmental issues and climate change,” she said at the virtual media engagement.
Awa Seck, a former Senegalese Minister of Health, also disclosed that the forum chose this year’s theme, “Health and Community Actions in the Face of Climate and Environmental Crises in Africa,” because of the impact of climate on public health.
She noted that the current Nigerian Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, is a member of the forum, while some academics from various universities sit on the board.
Gallen Africa Secretary General and Coordinator of the Scientific Commission, Prof. Ibrahim Seck, also explained that the forum seeks to address Africa’s public health challenges.
“This is why the forum rewards excellent research and innovations in health, such as medical technology, pharmaceutical products, digital interventions, and vital innovations that have impacted public health issues in Africa,” he disclosed.
He stated that aside from infectious diseases like cholera, measles, and diarrhoea, Africa is home to other health risks caused by climate problems. He mentioned that some nations on the continent record malnutrition due to food crises linked to the impact of environmental issues on farming and food production.
He added that the forum’s award, scheduled for Dakar, Senegal, next week, will honour dozens of African innovators in health and young Africans with prizes to spur them towards greater efforts for good work and the environment.
The webinar was organised by REMAPSEN, a network of African journalists promoting health and the environment.
