Assembly/AU/4(XI) Page 5 particularly in developing countries, world leaders adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at their 2000 World Summit, with targets to be achieved by 2015. The MDGs focus on some very critical health and social areas such as poverty reduction, eradication of hunger, improving literacy, promoting the health of vulnerable groups as well as fighting communicable disease epidemics and protecting the environment. Regrettably Africa still faces many challenges related to widespread poverty, underdevelopment, other social determinants of health that include inadequate water and sanitation, gender inequities as well as natural and man-made disasters. The continent is particularly prone to civil strife and armed conflicts, which negatively affect health and development. In the face of such challenges, the continent might not attain the MDG targets unless drastic steps are taken to implement appropriate strategies. Other factors which hamper the effective promotion of health and development in Africa include: weak health systems and inadequate or unpredictable financing. Furthermore, the burden of communicable and non-communicable disease continues to increase. The shortage of trained health professionals is also of serious concern and should be addressed more effectively. As specifically concerns HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria and as was noted at the Special Summit, effective implementation requires overcoming the following gaps and challenges: - - Coordination and harmonization of National and Regional Partnerships remains weak; Most countries have not adopted legislation to protect Human Rights of PLWA and TB; Health systems still face inadequacies in human resources characterized by low numbers, migration, mix of skills, motivation and retention. The poor face many hurdles accessing health services, including for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria; Inadequate and sometimes irregular supplies of medicines and commodities, which are still inaccessible by many due to high costs; Monitoring, evaluation and reporting are weak; Domestic resource mobilization is still insufficient. Only 33% of the countries have allocated 10% or more of the national budget to Health sector. Collaboration between Public and Private Sector at national level, in tackling HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria is still weak – yet it has high potential in galvanizing the whole society against the three diseases and in reducing prices of medicines and commodities; Slow progress in provision of tax incentives to and removal of tariffs on all materials (including vaccines) necessary to fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria It is encouraging to note that 2000 was a turning point for health promotion in Africa. In this connection and further to being party to the Millennium Summit, the African Leaders convened at Abuja in April 2000 in order to address Malaria which had