WHO Southeast Asia meet in Dili Sept 7-11

Health ministers of the 11 countries of WHO's Southeast Asia Region are meeting in Dili, Timor-Leste, on September 7-11 to set health priorities and discuss the health agenda for the region.

Coming close on the heels of the earthquakes in Nepal and the spread of MERS Coronavirus, strengthening response to emergencies and outbreaks and building capacities under the International Health Regulation 2005 will be one of the key areas for discussion at the 68th Session of the Regional Committee Meeting, according to a press release.

Timor-Leste Prime Minister Dr Rui Maria de Araújo will inaugurate the meeting. WHO Southeast Asia Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO experts and senior officials from the health ministries and journalists of member countries will also be present.

This is the first time that the WHO has invited the media from outside the host country for the regional committee meeting.

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 are among the topics that will be discussed, the release said. 

The Regional Committee, the highest policy-making body of WHO in the region, will also deliberate about antimicrobial resistance, an issue which needs urgent attention and action.

The committee meets annually and the meeting is hosted by one of the 11 member countries of Southeast Asia.

The other members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The previous meeting of the Southeast Asia Region was held in Dhaka.