This year marks 20 years since CHAI was founded with a purpose of saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries. My 5-day visit to New York began with participation at this programme and learning more about CHAI’s partnership with Unitaid to scale up affordable cervical cancer screening.
Alongside the official United Nations General Assembly programme, the Concordia gathering is a high-level, must-attend event providing a unique opportunity to hear directly from heads of state, leaders of the private and NGO sectors and industrialists. Key takeaways for me; the final realisation that cultural diplomacy is essential to bringing people together as well as sustaining and improving relations across different cultures. Keynote speakers also touched upon global health opportunities and challenges. I am more determined than ever to work towards fostering an equitable pandemic recovery.
Hearing the miraculous and sometimes heart-breaking stories from patients and medical workers breathes life into my work. The evening I spent at the Johnson & Johnson Center for Health Worker Innovation was truly inspiring.
It was an honour to support President Muhammudu Buhari at his last UNGA gathering as head of state. Beyond security challenges at the star-studded sideling event, President Buhari highlighted initiatives his government is undertaking to enhance the country’s economic development including intensifying policy reforms, bolstering governance, and encouraging public-private investments in social, human, and physical infrastructure. The gathering was graced by Billionaire and founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation, Tony Elumelu; Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Timipre Sylva; Minister for Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama; and African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina among others.