First Lady Rachel Ruto met United States First Lady Dr Jill Biden on Thursday, July 13 in New York.
The two met alongside other first ladies during the Leadership Training Programme at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Dr Biden called on the first ladies, including Rachel Ruto, to discuss how to advance critical health and development issues, including communicable and chronic disease management, community health, maternal and child health, climate change, health systems and gender disparities in access to health care.
The First Ladies Advance Public Health Leadership program was a four-day executive leadership education academy held at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health.
It was attended by the first ladies of eight African nations, including Botswana, Burundi, The Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
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The program aimed to highlight the unique position of first ladies in addressing public health challenges and provided interactive sessions on effective leadership, strategic policymaking, and public health system-strengthening.
The program was organized by the Global First Ladies Alliance in partnership with the Organization of African First Ladies for Development and Columbia Mailman School.
The academy aimed to build the collective capacities of first ladies and enhance their skills and accomplishments in advocating for issues such as early childhood development, gender-based violence, poverty, and women's economic empowerment.
The program included workshops, roundtable discussions, and special sessions on specific public health challenges.
The participating first ladies brought diverse backgrounds and professional expertise, and the program provided them with tools and strategies to define priorities, develop strategies, and implement plans to improve health and well-being in their countries and beyond.
The programme, organised by the Global First Ladies Academy, aims to empower First Ladies to create lasting change in their countries and contribute to global development efforts.
The Global First Ladies Academy is an initiative that aims to empower and support First Ladies from around the world in their leadership roles.
Through dialogue with experts and peers, this academy provides a platform for First Ladies to deepen their understanding of critical issues and enhance their leadership skills.