Tanzanian President holds talks with UN chief over health panel

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, the chairman of the UN High-level Panel on the Global Response to Health Crisis, held talks with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on Monday, the east African nation's State House said on Tuesday.

A statement issued by State House in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam said it was their first meeting since the UN chief appointed Kikwete to chair the panel last week.

The statement said Kikwete and Ban reviewed the terms of reference of the panel which was mandated to come up with recommendations to strengthen national and international systems to prevent and manage future health crises, taking into account lessons learned from the response to the outbreak of Ebola virus.

In carrying out its work, the panel will undertake a wide range of consultations, including with representatives from the affected countries and communities, the UN system, multilateral and bilateral financial institutions and regional development banks, Non-Governmental Organizations, countries supporting the response effort, other member states, health care providers, academic and research institutions, the private sector, and other experts. Endi