Eleven Asian nations agree to create emergency health fund
Eleven Asian countries, including Bangladesh, yesterday agreed to establish a dedicated fund to build health emergency preparedness.
“The new funding stream will allow the countries to invest in infrastructure and human resources that will enhance preparedness,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director of World Health Organization, responsible for South-East Asia.
The decision came at the WHO's regional committee meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, attended by the health ministers and senior health ministry officials of the region, which is one of the most disaster-prone, says a press release.
The countries of the region include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.
Recent earthquakes, cyclones and floods have caused health emergencies in the South-East Asia Region which has also been threatened by a range of emerging diseases, including SARS, MERS CoV, pandemic influenza and Zika virus.
Enhancing health security is a critical component for WHO's public health mission, said Dr Khetrapal, adding that the new funding stream is an expression of solidarity shared within the region, and recognition that preparedness is less costly than response.
The members also took a resolution, calling for promoting physical activity, as they observed insufficient physical activity is a major contributor to rising rates of non-communicable diseases in the region, with four-fifth of adolescents not getting enough of it.
The regional committee meeting also passed a resolution on strengthening health workforce, which is vital to achieving universal health coverage, a key part of the Sustainable Development Goal, leaving no one behind.
At present, the density of health care providers in the region is 12.5 per 10,000 population, which is less than the WHO recommended minimum 44.5 per 10,000 population.
Khetrapal said while countries are trying to achieve expanding health workforces across the region, increasing staff retention particularly in rural areas and providing further training to enhance skills are also important.