Health ministers and experts from member-countries of the WHO South East Asia region, including India, began on September 3 deliberations on "priority" health issues and laid emphasis on universal health coverage.





The 71st session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia was inaugurated by Union Health Minister J P Nadda. "Building on the Region's achievements we look to the many challenges ahead and our agenda this week draws our discussions to a wide range of vital subjects; from the need to improving civil registration and vital statistics to increasing action on improved vector management for better control of malaria and dengue; from progress in child survival to the promotion physical activity," a statement quoted WHO Deputy Director General Jane Elizabeth Ellison as saying.

The regional committee session, the highest policy-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the region, is hosted annually by any one of the 11 member-countries, or the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office. The session this year is being hosted by the Regional Office.

"WHO's new global thrust aims to have one billion more people benefitting from universal coverage, one billion more people protected from disaster, and one billion more people enjoying better health as we tackle the many determinants of ill health that lie beyond the reach of the health sector," WHO South-East Asia Regional Director Poonam Khetrapal Singh said.

Marking 70 years of WHO in South-East Asia Region, a special commemorative document was released. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will be joining the Regional Committee session later in the week, according to the WHO statement. 

The WHO in an earlier statement had said the meet would brainstorm on measures against vector-borne diseases and improving access to essential medicines. With the region prone to disasters and public health emergencies, the WHO and member-countries will discuss strengthening of emergency medical teams, an important initiative to fortify response capacities. "To address the significant increase in dengue cases in recent years, health experts will discuss measures against all vector-borne diseases including chikungunya and zika," the earlier statement had said.