DTMT Network

Next week, Health ministers of member countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region will discuss the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and measures to ‘build back better’ necessary health services to gain universal health coverage (UHC).

Nepal is virtually hosting the annual governing body meeting of WHO in the Region—the Seventy Fourth Regional Committee Session of WHO South-East Asia, from September 6th to 10th.

The meeting will be attended by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Regional Director Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Health Ministers and senior health officials of Member Countries of the Region, UN Agencies, partners, donors, and civil society representatives, the global health body confirmed.

The discussion will stress strengthening public health emergency preparedness and response, accelerating progress for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. It will also concentrate on ending viral hepatitis, HIV, and STI.

Monitoring progress on UHC, revitalising school health and the regional framework for a vaccine action plan for vaccine-preventable diseases would also be analysed.

The meeting will take a review of the progress being made in the region on resolutions acquired at previous regional committee meetings.

Measles and rubella elimination by 2023, improving access to essential medical products, the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund, and strengthening health systems to accelerate delivery of services for non-communicable diseases at the primary health care level, would come up at the meeting.