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Ministers from SE Asia to set health priorities in Dili
Health ministers from 11 member countries of the WHO's Southeast Asia branch are scheduled to meet in Dili, Timor Leste, from Sept
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ealth ministers from 11 member countries of the WHO's Southeast Asia branch are scheduled to meet in Dili, Timor Leste, from Sept. 7 to 11 to set health priorities and discuss the health agenda for the region.
Following the earthquakes in Nepal and the spread of MERS, one of the key areas countries will discuss at the 68th session of the WHO Southeast Asia Regional Committee meeting are efforts to strengthen the response to emergencies and outbreaks and to build capacities under the 2005 International Health Regulation (IHR).
'Timor Leste Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo will inaugurate the meeting. WHO Southeast Asia regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO experts and officials from health ministries of member countries will be also present,' WHO said in a press statement on Wednesday.
WHO said among the topics to be discussed in the meeting would be accelerating efforts to protect people against tobacco, advocating for health in the post-2015 Global Sustainable Development Goals and expanding effective services with stronger health workforce.
The Regional Committee, the highest policy making body of the WHO in the Region, is set to deliberate anti-microbial resistance, an issue which needs urgent attention and action.
'Eliminating neglected tropical diseases, such as kala-azar, leprosy, yaws, filariasis and schistosomiasis, adapting and implementing a strategy to end TB, finding way forward for preventing and controlling cancer and sustainable universal health coverage will be other areas of focus at the meeting,' said WHO.
The Regional Committee meets annually and is hosted by one of the 11 member countries of Southeast Asia. This is the first time that the committee is meeting in Timor Leste. (ebf)(++++)
