In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 73rd session of the Regional Committee of World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia commenced through a virtual platform today. Health Minister Dechen Wangmo is leading the Bhutanese delegation.
During the two-day session, Health Ministers from member countries will discuss measures to curtail the outbreak, ways to maintain essential health services and transition to the new normal.
This year, the pandemic will dominate discussions at the session as it has severely strained health systems across the region. And maintaining essential health services and accelerating continuation of disrupted health care services has become crucial more than ever. Member countries will share experiences and lessons learnt at the ministerial round table tomorrow.
The Regional Committee for South-East Asia is WHO’s governing body in the region and is comprised of representatives from the region’s eleven member states. The committee meets every year to formulate policies, provide oversight for regional programmes, hear progress reports and consider, revise and endorse new initiatives. It adopts resolutions and makes decisions that guide the work of the Regional Office and country offices for the coming year.
Sonam Pem
