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May 6, 2002

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"South Africa, Lesotho Health Ministers Sign Cooperation Agreement" BBC Worldwide Monitoring (www.monitor.bbc.co.uk) (05/03/02)

A declaration aimed at the cooperation between South Africa and Lesotho in regards to public health was signed on Friday by health ministers Manto Tshabalala-Msimang and Dr. Ponto Sekatle. Among the issues discussed in the agreement, the two countries will coordinate their immunization programs with a goal of becoming the first nations within the Southern African Development Community to be officially declared as polio-free by 2005, and they will also continue to work together in disease surveillance and epidemiology relative to tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and AIDS.  South Africa's Tshabalala-Msimang noted that "the strategic partnership will strengthen relations that already exist between the two democratic governments and will assist in building cooperation that is more focused for the benefit of all the peoples of both countries."

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