The Ivorian Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, Pierre N’Gou Dimba, currently in Geneva for the 79th World Health Assembly, is continuing an intensive diplomatic engagement on global health issues.
On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, he took part in a high-level ministerial side event organized by the Midwifery Accelerator, with support from several international partners including UNICEF, UNFPA, Jhpiego, UNITAID, and the International Confederation of Midwives.
The meeting focused on health financing and strengthening human resources for maternal and neonatal survival. It brought together several ministers, international experts, and technical partners to discuss responses to the challenges of maternal and child health.
Alongside his counterparts from Cameroon, Nepal, Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Bangladesh, Pierre N’Gou Dimba shared Côte d’Ivoire’s experience in the fight against maternal and infant mortality.
“We have implemented major reforms, including targeted free healthcare for mothers and children, the provision of medicines, care kits and blood products, as well as the strengthening of health infrastructure and the large-scale recruitment of midwives,” the Ivorian minister explained.
He also highlighted the progress made by Côte d’Ivoire in recent years, particularly the significant decline in maternal mortality, improved access to obstetric care, and strengthened monitoring systems for pregnancy and childbirth complications. According to the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, the country recorded 89 deaths per 1,000 births in 2014, a figure that dropped to 75 in 2019 and 65 in 2024.
During discussions, Pierre N’Gou Dimba stressed the need for international partners to better align global health funding with the priorities defined by African states in order to ensure more effective and locally relevant investments.
A few days earlier, on May 17, the Ivorian minister also participated in the 28th edition of the Francophone Health Meetings organized by Les Entreprises du Médicament (LEEM), in partnership with the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).
Held under the theme “Global Innovation: New Frontiers in Health,” the high-level meeting addressed issues related to health sovereignty, artificial intelligence, research, and health system financing.
In his speech, Pierre N’Gou Dimba called on African countries to build their own healthcare ecosystems in order to reduce external dependence.
“What our countries need now is to build health systems with the new technologies and innovations required to guarantee our populations the same standards of care as in Europe or the United States,” he said.
He concluded that the future of the continent depends on sustainable investments in research, training, pharmaceutical innovation, and the development of local industries, stressing that while individual countries remain fragile, together they can build true African health sovereignty.