Health Minister Dechen Wangmo was elected as the chairperson of the 75th session of the Regional Committee for World Health Organization South-East Asia. The session began today in Paro. The Regional Committee for South–East Asia is WHO’s governing body in the region. Health leaders from ten-member states are attending the five-day meeting.
The inaugural session began with a traditional chipdrel and a marching ceremony. Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering graced the inaugural session of the meeting.
The delegates are meeting in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting formulates policies and initiatives and reviews progress reports. Health Minister Dechen Wangmo highlighted the importance of the regional committee.
“The pandemic has made it clear that health is central to development. The Regional Committee presents us with a unique opportunity to rethink, redesign and rewrite strategies and interventions to accelerate and enhance equitable quality health services and systems for the South-East Asia Region which houses more than one-fourth of the global population,” said Lyonpo.
Addressing the gathering, the SEARO Director of WHO, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, praised the member countries for their resilience and solidarity during the COVID-19 response.
“In public health, we can never relax. For the foreseeable future, we will continue to grapple with these and other health emergencies. How we as a region choose to recover from the COVID-19 crisis will determine how we protect our many public health achievements. So much is at stake and so much depends on the decisions we make now, and in the weeks and months ahead,” she said.
The Director General of WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also joined the session online. He said the pandemic has taught that health is the most precious commodity on earth that must be cherished, prized, and fought for every day.
During the inaugural, a book titled ‘People’s Pandemic’ was also released.
In the coming days, a ministerial roundtable will discuss mental health through primary care and community engagement in the region. The meeting will have discussions on many health topics such as non-communicable diseases, oral health, cervical cancer, and strengthening health emergency preparedness.
This is the third time, Bhutan is hosting the Regional Committee meeting. Earlier, Bhutan hosted it in 1997 and 2007.
Namgay Wangchuk/Kinley Dem, Paro
Edited by Tshering Zam
