ABout IMCHE3

In August 2008, more than 300 participants from 52 African countries gathered in Libreville, Gabon to attend the first Interministerial Conference on Health and Environment in Africa (IMCHE).

The main outcome of that historic meeting was the adoption of the Libreville Declaration, which recognised that human health is intimately linked to the state of the environment. Participating nations committed themselves to 11 priority actions for addressing the continent’s top health and environmental challenges. This commitment was reaffirmed during their second joint meeting in Angola in 2010 through the Luanda Commitment on Health and Environment.

These agreements have paved the way towards a more integrated approach to policy-making in the health and environment sectors.

The upcoming third IMCHE conference in Libreville will build on the progress of its predecessors in addressing the interlinkages between health and environment as a means of achieving sustainable development and the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

BACKGROUND TO IMCHE3

Integrating the approach to policy-making in the health and environment sectors

WHO Africa and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) are encouraging a strategic alliance between the health and environment sectors in Africa through the implementation of the Libreville Declaration.

Read the Libreville declaration here

OBjectives of the conference

Building on the progress recorded and valuable lessons learnt since Libreville 2008, the conference will address the significant challenges that continue to limit the impact of interventions on ecosystems and the health of vulnerable populations and communities, in the context of a changed policy landscape and important shifts in the global development agenda.

The overarching objective of the meeting will be to catalyse action by stimulating policies and investments on the joint contribution of the health and environment sectors towards the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Africa (SDGs).

Additionally, the conference will aim to:

Assess progress in the implementation of the Libreville Declaration on Health and Environment in Africa
Share experiences and lessons learned with regard to environmental and health governance at the national level in Africa
Identify emerging issues and threats related to health and environment
Highlight the economic costs of environmental health problems and the development benefits of addressing them
Strengthen regional stakeholders’ dialogue and public-private partnership on major health and environment issues, as well as their respective development policies
Identify opportunities for accessing investments and mobilising domestic and international resources on health and environment priority actions
Agree on a strategic action plan for an increased coverage of health and environment interventions for primary prevention in public health and preservation of ecosystems integrity

Outcome 1

Produce a strategic action plan for increased coverage of health and environment interventions for primary prevention in public health and preservation of ecosystems integrity

Outcome 2

Achieve commitment from member states and stakeholders to scale up joint policies and actions on health and environment in Afri

Outcome 3

Identify opportunities for accessing investments and mobilising domestic resources for health and environment priority actions

Outcomes of the conference

The outcomes of IMCHE will contribute to the momentum built since 2008 in fostering coordinated action in the health and environment sectors. Participating countries are expected to reach the following objectives at the conclusion of the meeting: