by Derick Tsimba

Today, the First Lady of Zimbabwe and Vice President of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), Auxillia Mnangagwa, will be chairing, the High Level Webinar Series #1 in Harare, which seeks to address health impacts of COVID-19, the Harare Post can report.

The Webinar Series on COVID-19 will highlight key challenges being faced in Africa as a direct or indirect result of the pandemic. It will focus on the important health and socio-economic inequalities that have arisen or worsened as a direct or indirect result of COVID-19.

Key focus from African First Ladies’ meeting will be the importance of ensuring that social protection measures for vulnerable communities and ensuring the most vulnerable and stigmatized have access to quality, affordable health services in the context of COVID-19.

The High Level Webinar Series seeks to raise awareness of the health, economic and financial impact on communities, nations and at the regional level. It also aims to emphasize the importance of universal social protection measures and maintaining essential health services in the face of COVID-19.

The meeting shall be graced by African First ladies, members of OAFLAD, Kenyan Ambassador to Ethiopia, Djibouti, the African Union, IGAD, and the UNECA, Director of African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr John Nkengasong and Executive Director of Women in Global Health, Dr Roopa Dhatt.