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A30 world news
Diahuebs 10 Maart 2022

WHO Africa’s 1st woman leader helps continent fight COVID

Moeti has made strides with- Moeti also acknowledges that
in WHO Africa to follow She thinks of women she she was privileged to be raised
through on her word — start- knows and sees. The woman in a family that valued educa-
ing a leadership program that who braids her hair, who lost tion above all else. When she
has helped promote more work because of the lock- was young in apartheid South
women by ensuring that fe- down and is scared of the Africa where segregated, sub-
male applicants for jobs are vaccine. An elderly woman standard Bantu education
taken as seriously as men. who must carry her load of was enforced for Blacks, she
food up and down steep hills. had to commute to Swazi-
Improved gender parity is ev- Women selling produce at land for schooling and faced
ident at WHO Africa, where marketplaces forced to close scrutiny at the borders of the
nearly equal numbers of men their stalls. small country encircled by
and women walk around South Africa. The commute
the sprawling campus, about The way out of the pandemic was too much, so her parents
a 20-minute drive outside is to reach these women with moved the family to Botswa-
Brazzaville along the Congo awareness campaigns and na where they could get bet-
River. In her time in office, economic aid, she said. ter, non-racist education.
Moeti said, she is proud
to have shifted the ratio of To this end, Moeti tries to get The importance of education
men to women — now, four out into the field monthly. has been a constant in her life.
(AP) — People stand Ebola outbreak, in West Af- female directors and four She’s frequently joined by When she pursued a master’s
when Dr. Matshidiso rica. She has also has had to male directors flank her in government officials and degree in London, she was
Moeti enters a room at the handle lingering criticism of the grand conference room journalists, and the con- separated from her daughters
World Health Organiza- WHO’s spending and hiring where meetings and Zoom voy can attract a crowd — for a year, and her marriage
tion’s Africa headquarters in Africa as it also deals with calls are held. Prior, it was as with a recent trip to the to their father eventually
in the Republic of Congo allegations of sexual assault three women in the presence dense Ouenze neighborhood ended. She is now remarried
and they listen intently to by contractors during Con- of six men. of Brazzaville. Women and to an epidemiologist who has
what she says. go’s Ebola crisis. men jostled to get a glimpse worked on many outbreaks
One of the women at the of their health minister, the and commutes in and out of
Small in stature and big in From 2020, the start of her table is Dr. Mary Stephens mayor and Moeti, at a small the country, she said.
presence, Moeti is the first second term, Moeti has faced who says that seeing Moeti as yard outside a health center.
woman to lead WHO’s re- her toughest professional and regional director means a lot Despite the challenges she
gional Africa office, the personal challenge: helping to her and others in Africa, Moeti has nearly 40 years of has faced, she wouldn’t
capstone of her trailblaz- Africa respond to the coro- where women historically experience in public health, change her life, she says.
ing career in which she has navirus pandemic as the con- and traditionally have had to but the coronavirus pandem- Her family and education
overcome discrimination in tinent trails the rest of the take a back seat: “It gives us ic has confronted her with continue to motivate her to
apartheid South Africa to be- world in testing and vaccina- hope and an indication that new challenges. improve Africa’s health care.
come one of the world’s top tion efforts. She has become it can happen for any woman Thinking of young African
health administrators. one of the world’s most com- on the continent.” The women in her fam- girls suffering during COV-
pelling voices urging bet- ily helped her to achieve ID-19, Moeti says she wants
As WHO Africa chief, Moeti ter consideration of Africa’s In Africa, women have suf- so much, she says. Moeti’s to help improve their lives,
initiates emergency respons- people — especially women, fered disproportionately dur- mother was a doctor, and her inspire them and make them
es to health crises in 47 of who’ve in many ways been ing the pandemic — with grandmother a teacher who into leaders.
the continent’s 54 countries hit hardest by COVID. Her lower vaccine rates, econom- was widowed with seven girls
and recommends policies to identity as an African woman ic turmoil, rising pregnan- to raise in a South African so- She wants them to know:
strengthen their health care has been both a strength and cies, other healthcare issues, ciety that looked more favor- “I’m a child who was in the
systems. an obstacle on a continent increases in domestic and ably on educating sons. Moe- South African township and
where much of society is still gender-based violence — and ti speaks of her as a hero — “a running around the streets.
Since her appointment in dominated by patriarchal sys- Moeti has made addressing very determined, soldiering- I hope that will encourage
2015, Moeti has grappled tems. that inequality a cornerstone on type of woman.” them.”
with the world’s deadliest of her work.

Israel, Turkey vow to heal rift despite sharp differences

(AP) — Turkey and Israel ture state along with the West tant group that controls the stormed a Gaza-bound flo-
agreed on Wednesday to Herzog said his visit consti- Bank and Gaza Strip. Gaza Strip. Israel considers tilla carrying humanitarian
rebuild their relationship tutes a “very important mo- Hamas a terrorist group. aid for Palestinians that broke
despite their differences, ment” in relations, allowing The Israelis and Palestinians an Israeli blockade. The inci-
as Israel’s President Isaac the countries to “build bridg- have not held substantive The countries withdrew dent resulted in the deaths of
Herzog became the first es essential to us all.” peace negotiations to reach a their respective ambassadors nine Turkish activists.
Israeli leader to visit Tur- two-state solution to the con- in 2010 after Israeli forces
key in 14 years. Both leaders conceded how- flict in over a decade.
ever, that differences remain
Appearing before cameras — not least on the issue of Herzog said: “We must agree
following talks with Her- the Palestinians. in advance that we will not
zog, Turkish President Recep agree on everything, that is
Tayyip Erdogan described Is- Israel captured east Jerusalem the nature of relations with a
raeli president’s visit as “his- with its Jewish, Christian past as rich as ours.”
toric” and “a turning point” and Muslim holy sites — the
in Turkish-Israeli relations. emotional ground zero of the Turkey and Israel once were
He said Turkey was ready to more than century-long con- close allies, but the relation-
cooperate with Israel in the flict — in the 1967 Mideast ship frayed under Erdogan,
energy sector, adding that the war and annexed it in a move who is an outspoken critic
Turkish foreign and energy unrecognized by most of the of Israel’s policies toward the
ministers would soon visit international community. Palestinians. Israel also has
Israel for more talks on in- The Palestinians seek east been angered by Erdogan’s
creased cooperation. Jerusalem as capital of a fu- embrace of Hamas, the mili-