The Secretary-General of the Algerian Ministry of Health, Mohamed Talhi, received Wednesday, at the Ministry’s headquarters, the UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, as the meeting was dedicated to exchanging views and strengthening dialogue on the current state and prospects of bilateral cooperation, the ministry said in a statement.
The meeting was also attended by UNICEF’s representative in Algeria, Katarina Johansson.
The UNICEF official praised “the progress achieved through United Nations programs in Algeria,” highlighting the country’s adoption of “a prevention-based approach to public health promotion as a cornerstone of improved healthcare delivery for its citizens,” the source added.
He went on to review the record of bilateral cooperation across several strategic areas, most notably the national vaccination program and maternal and child health, commending in particular “the significant step of introducing the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine,” and praising Algeria’s commitment and leading role in this area.
The UNICEF’s representative called for “sustaining and stepping up joint efforts by building healthcare delivery capacities,” as well as “scaling up nutrition and public health programs, particularly those targeting obesity, a growing health challenge that demands a comprehensive preventive approach.” The meeting dealt with “the findings of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS),” with the announcement of “the launch of its seventh edition, aimed at strengthening accurate data collection and the assessment of health and social policies as well as supporting evidence-based decision-making,” the statement noted.
For his part, the Health Ministry’s Secretary General reaffirmed that the national health system is grounded in “prevention as a core and enduring strategic priority,” and that “improving healthcare delivery for citizens remains paramount.” He outlined efforts underway to “ensure universal health coverage across all provinces through the development of institutional twinning mechanisms, the deployment of new cohorts of medical practitioners to the southern provinces, and the establishment of specialized health hubs of national and African scope, further cementing Algeria’s standing as a regional reference in healthcare.”
At the end of the meeting, the two sides underscored “the importance of sustaining bilateral collaboration and deepening their partnership under the 2028–2032 strategic framework between the Ministry of Health and UNICEF, with a view to advancing the national health system and strengthening the foundations of health security at both the national and continental levels, in support of sustainable health development goals,” the source added.
