EMMS joins First Minister in welcoming Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia to Scotland for Games

EMMS CEO, Cathy Ratcliff, was pleased to join First Minister John Swinney in welcoming Commonwealth Games athletes from Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia at an event in Glasgow ahead of the opening ceremony of the Games on 23 July.

EMMS has long-standing relationships with partners in all three of the Africa nations, including recent work in building the health workforce, developing palliative care services, and delivering resilient, cost saving hospital infrastructure. Sustaining and building on these partnerships and the work we have achieved together are critical to achieving the ultimate goal of ensuring everyone has access to good quality healthcare.

EMMS CEO, Cathy Ratcliff, and Rwanda High Commissioner, H.E. Johnstone Busingye

Cathy said: "I was delighted to welcome athletes from Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia to Glasgow, and to celebrate their participation - and hopefully success - in the Games. Our partnerships with these countries bring multiple mutual benefits, which must be sustained and protected."

At the event, which was hosted by the Scottish Government and Scotland Malawi Partnership, the First Minister emphasised the importance of Scotland's strong connections with Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia. There was also a welcome commitment from the International Development Minister, Simita Kumar, to increase the international development budget by 25% in this parliamentary term.