“Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities” – WHO Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, 1986
Together with other Commonwealth agencies and partner organisations, the Commonwealth Secretariat works to strengthen the health systems of Commonwealth countries and to build their capacity to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The Commonwealth Secretariat particularly assists member countries to address public health concerns and strengthen health policy development and implementation in the following areas:
- E-health
- Health workforce
- HIV/AIDS
- Maternal and child health
- Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
The Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Health (CACH), which is made up of representatives from governments, regional organisations and civil society organisations (CSO's), plays a crucial role in advising the Commonwealth Secretariat on health issues and priorities.
Latest News
Wasted milk is equal to gas emissions from 20,000 cars
May 18, 2012Waste milk creates a carbon footprint equivalent to thousands of car exhausts, according to a study that highlights the environmental costs of inefficient farming and the aggressive marketing of supermarket food. Scientists have calculated that the 360,000 tonnes of waste milk that is poured down British drains each year creates greenhouse gases equivalent to 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide...
Africa Progress Panel calls on African governments to drive towards Millennium Development Goals
May 14, 2012African leaders urged to launch 'big push' as inequality, marginalisation and disenfranchisement threaten MDG progress. The Africa Progress Panel, chaired by Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general, said while the continent had made notable gains in the past decade, its record on poverty does not match its overall economic growth.
Apr 14, 2012
The World Bank has never had a female president. That could all change if Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala beats out her two male competitors in the ongoing race for the top job.
David Cameron to chair UN committee overseeing development goals
Apr 12, 2012David Cameron has been asked by the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, to chair a new UN committee tasked with establishing a new set of UN millennium development goals to follow the present goals, which expire in 2015.
The Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport to hold annual meeting in London
Apr 05, 2012The Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS) will meet in London from 3 to 4 April 2012 to discuss strengthening sport for development and peace (SDP) initiatives and protecting the integrity of sport and prepare recommendations for the 6th Commonwealth Sport Ministers Meeting.
Campaign to give 111m children polio jabs
Apr 04, 2012A major campaign to vaccinate more than 111 million children under the age of five against polio in 20 African countries in just four days in the highly ambitious project to be launched by the World Health Organisation.
