CPA raising the profile of pharmacy at CHOGM 2022

The theme for CHOGM 2022 was ‘Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming.’

In the first of a series of 2 blogs, Mr Flandrie Habyarimana reports on his experiences and attendance at CHOGM, representing the CPA and pharmacists across the Commonwealth.

CHOGM 2022 Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), was held at the Kigali Convention Centre under the theme, ‘Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming’.

Leaders from more than 50 Commonwealth nations attended the ceremony and heard remarks from The Prince of Wales, the new Chair in Office and President of Rwanda, His Excellency Paul Kagame, the Commonwealth Secretary-General Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, and outgoing Chair in Office, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP.

In his opening remarks, His Excellency President of the Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame started by welcoming the heads of Commonwealth countries and all other attending participants.

He thanked the UK Chair-in-Office, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Secretary-General, for their efforts to coordinate activities of the Commonwealth during their mandate. His Excellency President Paul Kagame paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her leadership of the Commonwealth over the past 70 years and painted a picture of the years to come, stating that, “the Commonwealth we need is on the frontlines of global challenges, not on the periphery watching events unfold.”

The flag of the CPA was flown high and the profile of pharmacy and the CPA’s work was raised by many global leaders, including the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of World Health Organization.

It was a great pleasure to meet the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC who will retain her seat as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. A statement from the Commonwealth spokesperson said: “Leaders of the Commonwealth have made a decision by consensus

to reappoint Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, QC, for a further two years to complete the balance of her appointment in office.”

Speaking after her reappointment, the Secretary-General said: “It is deeply humbling to have been reappointed as Secretary-General of this great Commonwealth. To continue to serve our family of nations is a true honour and a privilege and I will do so to the best of my ability. We will face the world’s challenges with unity and purpose.”

The Secretary-General has been hugely supportive of the CPA and she continues to recognize the effort of Pharmacists across the Commonwealth. We are thankful for her contributions to strengthening the Pharmacy profession. She offered an open door to the CPA, who she added would be “welcomed to her office at any time we wished to meet her”.

It was also an honour and privilege to meet Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), who voiced his appreciation and recognition of the contribution of pharmacists in health systems across the globe, particularly in their extended roles in the fight against COVID-19. He encouraged all of us to keep up the great work as frontline health workers, as we continue to provide essential healthcare to the people across the Commonwealth.

Pre-CHOGM-Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Small States
The CPA attended as an observer organisation. The meeting was focused on the review and approval of different reports and documents as well as the Signing of the Commonwealth Secretariat UNCTAD MoU on Institutional Cooperation with UNCTAD Secretary-General, Ms Rebeca Grynspan.

Pre – CHOGM Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting – Civil Society Organizations
This session focussed on post-COVID-19 recovery, which the CPA attended as an observer organisation. It has been over two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many member countries continuing to feel its deep and reverberating impact. The questions posed were:

What can the Commonwealth do to more effectively address current and future health emergencies and tackle existing inequities?
How can trade, investment and connectivity better support the post-COVID-19 recovery?

You can read more about the meeting and resolutions in this report for your consideration. ??

Photo credits: CHOGM Rwanda 2022

Flandrie Habyarimana

Phn HABYARIMANA Flandrie, R.PH is a Bachelor’s degree holder in Pharmacy obtained from the National University of Rwanda in 2013. He has been registered as a senior pharmacist with the Rwanda National Pharmacy Council since 2013 and served as the Vice Guild Minister of Gender at The University of Rwanda from 2011-2013. He is also a co-founder of NUR-GLF (National University of Rwanda Girls Leaders Forum) and served them as an advisor from 2012-2013. He has additional experience in Supply Chain Management gained from DEPHAM (Depot Pharmaceutique des Mille Collines), Ltd, PASS MED HEALCARE LTD where he also serves as a Head Pharmacist and TRUST PHARMALAB Ltd as Chief Pharmacist/QA & Import Specialist at TRUST PHARMALAB Ltd. He currently serves the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association as Regional Representative of East and Southern Africa.