Annan Arrives in Edinburgh on AU, G8 Summits Trip

Annan Arrives in Edinburgh on Trip That Includes African Union and G8 Summits

New York, Jun 30 2005 3:00PM

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived today in Edinburgh, Scotland, the first stop on a 10-day trip that will also take him the African Union summit in Libya, and the G8 Summit in of industrialized nations in Gleneagles.

Later today, Mr. Annan will deliver a speech at the 500th anniversary dinner of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, where he is expected to call for new and serious efforts to build health systems in the developing world.

In his address, Mr. Annan will stress that Africa alone will require 1 million new health workers to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the ambitious blueprint for slashing a host of socio-economic ills afflicting the world by 2015. Without such a dramatic increase in Africa's health capacity, curable diseases will go untreated and women will keep dying needlessly in childbirth, Mr. Annan will warn.

Next up for Mr. Annan will be the 5th African Union summit in Sirte, Libya, on 4 and 5 July, and then the G8 Summit in Gleneagles on 7 and 8 July.

ENDS

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