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The First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has joined her African first ladies' counterparts in Brazzaville, Congo, to attend the 26th Extraordinary General Assembly to elect a new President for the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD).

The two-day meeting is also to discuss health financing and other development agenda of the first ladies within their various countries.

The meeting, being hosted by Mrs Antoinette SassouNguesso, first lady of the Republic of Congo, who is also the outgoing President of OAFLAD, is being attended by other first ladies from Liberia, Namibia, Malawi, Cote d’Ivoire, Burundi, the Gambia, Niger, Nigeria, Kenya, among others.

It is on the theme: ‘‘Twenty years in service of the most vulnerable in Africa,’’ coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of OAFLAD by some 37 African first ladies, with the aim of uniting and serving as a voice for the Continent’s most vulnerable; women and children living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

At the opening of the session on Thursday in Brazzaville, Mrs Sassou Nguesso welcomed her counterparts including all those who joined virtually and urged them to stay committed to the ideals of the Organisation.

“Today’s meeting is important because it will produce a new President for OAFLAD and subsequently discuss the management of the organisation and its programmes in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

She also charged her counterparts to continue to support the efforts of their husbands to ensure peace and progress in the African countries.

Meanwhile, records made available to the Ghana News Agency in Brazzaville had indicated that upon the establishment of OAFLAD in Africa, health outcomes on the continent had improved drastically through a concerted global effort being championed by the first ladies in their various countries.

Also, the rate of HIV and AIDS deaths are over three times lower today than in 2002, while the rates of deaths from maternal and neonatal disorders are over 1.5 times lower, and rates of death from one of the biggest childhood killers, malaria, are two times lower, records made available to the Ghana News Agency in Brazzaville, Congo has indicated.