Lesotho’s Minister for Health, Selibe Mochoboroane, will chair the 37th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (37CHMM) in Geneva tomorrow, May 17.
The significant meeting will take place on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly.
This will be the first ministerial meeting for the newly appointed Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, since she assumed office on April 1st, 2025.
Under the theme, ‘Investing in Health: Sustainable Financing for an Equitable Commonwealth’, health ministers from across the 56 Commonwealth nations will convene to develop collaborative strategies for securing new resources to advance health equity.
Discussions will focus on building stronger, greener, and better-funded health systems for all Commonwealth citizens, representing a population of 2.7 billion people.
The timing of the meeting is critical as it addresses the challenges posed by recent freezes and significant cuts in global Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), which disproportionately impact vulnerable countries.
Reflecting on the importance of the meeting, Secretary-General Botchwey emphasised, “We know the truth, every investment in health is an investment in people, in productivity, in prosperity, and in the kind of future we want to build.”
She further urged action, stating, “So let us use this meeting not only to agree on policy, but to commit to action, to secure sustainable financing that protects people, not just budgets; embed climate resilience and social justice in health planning and to expand digital access without leaving anyone behind.”
The roundtable sessions will delve into crucial areas such as overcoming barriers to accessing climate finance for health, the role of the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH), sustainable financing for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the Roadmap for Healthy Ageing in the Commonwealth, and the importance of investing in digital tools to accelerate equitable access to quality healthcare.
Ministers will also receive updates on the progress of mandates agreed upon at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.
While in Geneva, Secretary-General Botchwey is scheduled to engage with development partners, heads of international trade and finance corporations, and private sector representatives to advocate for increased investments in healthcare to achieve health for all.
The outcomes of the 37CHMM were informed by recommendations from the Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Health (CACH) earlier in March.
Mochoboroane, in his capacity as Chair, is expected to address the 78th World Health Assembly on behalf of the 56 Commonwealth Health Ministers, drawing upon the key discussions and outcomes of this pivotal meeting.
His address will highlight the Commonwealth’s collective commitment to investing in health for a more equitable future.
Ntsoaki Motaung is an award-winning health journalist from Lesotho, specializing in community health stories with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as HIV. She has contributed to platforms like “Be in the KNOW,” highlighting issues such as the exclusion of people with disabilities from HIV prevention efforts in Lesotho.
In addition to her journalism, Ntsoaki serves as the Country Coordinator for the Regional Media Action Plan Support Network (REMAPSEN). She is also a 2023 CPHIA Journalism Fellow.
