- Title: Medical students in Havana prepare to attend 28th African Union Summit
- Date: 25th January 2017
- Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (JANUARY 24, 2017) (REUTERS) AFRICAN MEDICAL STUDENTS AT THE LATIN-AMERICAN MEDICAL SCHOOL IN HAVANA SHOWING AFRICAN UNION FLAG AFRICAN UNION FLAG AFRICAN STUDENTS WHO WILL ATTEND AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT GREETING COLLEAGUES AT MEDICAL SCHOOL STUDENTS WALKING THROUGH MEDICAL SCHOOL CORRIDOR (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MALIAN STUDENT, BRAHIMA CISSE, SAYING: "In spite of all the difficulties today on the African continent, and the problems of political instability, the insertion of young people and terrorism, we really want to focus on the topics of health, education, gender and sexuality. On the topic of health, we here in the Latin-American Medical School, want to take with us all the experience we have gained in this country, and we want to discuss why we can't have a health Africa by 2063." GENERAL VIEW OF STUDENTS IN LIBRARY STUDENT FROM BURKINA FASO, ARIANNE PULCHERIE, WHO WILL ATTEND THE AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT A MEDICAL BOOK AFRICAN STUDENTS IN LIBRARY AFRICAN STUDENT ON LAPTOP IN LIBRARY (SOUNDBITE) (English) STUDENT FROM BOTSWANA, AMBROCIA NATABAGO, SAYING: "Women we want to be part of everything, we want everything to be like 50-50. Want to take part, want to be involved, be it politics, be it education, everything we want to be part of it, and basically what we all see is that they should speak more about including us, in the decisions that they take, the elections, and everything, we really want to be active. It´s not that we are weak or anything, we just need to be invited to come through, to come and give opinions, and all that. So basically women's empowerment that´s basically what I will say." VARIOUS OF CUBAN FLAGS AT LATIN-AMERICAN MEDICAL SCHOOL SIGN READING (IN SPANISH): "LATIN-AMERICAN SCHOOL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES EXTERIOR OF MEDICAL SCHOOL
- Embargoed: 8th February 2017 16:18
- Keywords: Cuba African Union Summit Africa medicine health
- Location: HAVANA, CUBA
- City: HAVANA, CUBA
- Country: Cuba
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA00160KYDDV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Four African medical students enrolled at Cuba's Latin-American School of Medicine in Havana are set to attend the 28th African Union Summit in Ethiopia at the end of the month, taking with them proposals focused on health, education, gender and sexuality, following their experiences on the Caribbean island.
The summit, which will take place on January 22 - 31, with the participation of heads of state from 54 African Union member states, will focus on addressing the mandate of "Harnessing the demographic dividend through investments in youth".
Brahima Cisse from Mali, Arcus Makaza from Burundi, Ambrocia Natabago from Botswana and Arianne Pulcherie from Burkina Faso, study Medicine in Havana in the school set up in 1999 by late revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, with the objective of offering grants for foreign students from low-income backgrounds to study for free, with particular focus on students from Latin America and Africa.
Cisse said he would take everything he had learnt with him to the summit with the objective of overcome the issues facing his home continent.
"In spite of all the difficulties today on the African continent, and the problems of political instability, the insertion of young people and terrorism, we really want to focus on the topics of health, education, gender and sexuality. On the topic of health, we here in the Latin-American Medical School, want to take with us all the experience we have gained in this country, and we want to discuss why we can't have a health Africa by 2063," said Cisse.
The African Union committed to advancing a continental vision contained in the Agenda 2063 entitled, "The Africa we want."
According to the African Union website, the importance of this year's mandate rests on the fact that almost two thirds of the population of West and Central Africa are under 24 years of age, with young people between 15 and 24 making up 60 per cent of the unemployed, and with many of those who find work limited to the informal sector and low incomes.
The African Union highlights the need to address the lack of education and skills and the poor access to sexual and reproductive health services in the region.
A Gender Pre-Summit will take place January 22 - 27, focusing on "the empowerment of youth especially young girls for leadership and civic participation," a topic Natabago is particularly interested to pursue.
"Women we want to be part of everything, we want everything to be like 50-50. Want to take part, want to be involved, be politics, be education, everything we want to be part of it, and basically what we all see is that they should speak more about including us, in the decisions that they take, the elections, and everything, we really want to be active. It´s not like we are weak or anything, we just need to be invited to come through, to come and give opinions, and all that. So basically women's empowerment that´s basically what I will say," said Natabago.
The two previous summits were held in Kigali, Rwanda in July 2016 and in Johannesburg, South Africa in mid 2015. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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