WHO executive board meeting: Bangladesh wants quick supply of vaccine to developing countries
Bangladesh has urged the WHO, Vaccine Alliance, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and UNICEF to play a visible and effective role to urgently ensure supply of coronavirus vaccines under the COVAX facility to developing countries, particularly the low- and the middle-income countries.
The call was made by Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva, Mustafizur Rahman, at the 148th Executive Board Meeting of the World Health Organization Wednesday.
"The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the limitations of the global public health system," he said, according to a statement of the Bangladesh public representative to the UN in Geneva today.
He emphasised on robust international partnership to strengthen the health systems of low- and middle-income countries in the post-pandemic period.
Ambassador Rahman thanked the WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization for nominating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to be one of the co-chairs of the Anti-microbial Resistance (AMR) Group of the One Health Global Leaders.
In this regard, the Director General of WHO Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyeseus thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina especially for her leadership in the AMR Group.
Besides, Dr Tedros had sent a letter to the Bangladesh prime minister, appreciating her for her timely and dynamic leadership to combat the challenges posed by the pandemic.
He also reiterated the commitment of WHO to work with the Bangladesh government in addressing any challenge in the area of public health.
During the executive board meeting, 50 health-related issues were discussed in detail while five resolutions and 13 decisions were adopted.
Bangladesh co-sponsored the resolutions on mental health and oral health. Also, Bangladesh delivered a joint statement on behalf of the WHO South East Asian countries on the resolution on mental health.
The 148th Executive Board Meeting was held virtually in the headquarters of the WHO in Geneva.
As an elected member of the Executive Board of WHO, Bangladesh actively took part under the leadership of Health Minister Zahid Maleque.
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