The Seventy-ninth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East
Asia opened today with Member States underscoring the importance of solidarity,
shared responsibility and collective action to address health challenges,
strengthen health systems, reduce inequalities and advance the health and
well-being of people across the Region.
In his keynote address, Prime Minister of Timor-Leste Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão called on Member States to place equity at the centre of health action, with a common objective that “no person is denied the chance of a healthy life because of where they were born, where they live, or what they can afford.”
The Prime Minster highlighted the importance of addressing the wider determinants of health, including good nutrition, safe water, sanitation and education, and called for essential services to be protected, health workers supported and resources directed towards the greatest unmet needs. He stressed the importance of strengthening national systems and coordinating partnerships around priorities defined with countries and communities.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the progress being made across the Region are
“evidence of sustained political leadership, strong public health systems, and
unwavering commitment by health workers and communities. The achievements in
this Region show what is possible when countries lead, partners align and WHO
delivers as one. Progress in the years ahead will require sharper focus,
stronger partnerships and more integrated approaches to health.”
Earlier, in her welcome address,
Dr Élia A.A. dos Reis Amaral, Minister of Health, Timor-Leste, said, “For
Timor-Leste, this gathering represents far more than an official summit; it is
a vital forum for knowledge exchange, mutual learning and the consolidation of
enduring partnerships. Regional cooperation is most effective when solutions
are adaptable to the diverse capacities and socioeconomic contexts of our
respective nations.”
The Minister of Health and Mass
Media of Sri Lanka, Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, and the Chair of the Seventy-eighth
Regional Committee held in Sri Lanka last year, said, “The strength of our
Region lies in our solidarity and our willingness to learn from and support one
another. No country has all the answers, but every country has experiences and
lessons that can contribute to strengthening health across South-East Asia.
When we stand together, support countries facing emergencies or capacity
constraints, and share evidence and innovation, we strengthen the health
security of the entire Region.”
Against a backdrop of evolving
health challenges and persistent inequalities, the four-day meeting will
provide an opportunity for Member States to take stock of progress, exchange
experiences and identify practical actions to accelerate progress towards
shared health goals. Discussions will span universal health coverage and the
health-related Sustainable Development Goals, multi-disease elimination,
tuberculosis, equitable access to specialized care, medical devices and
diagnostics, resilient health facilities, and digital health and artificial
intelligence.
Commending Timor-Leste,
Officer-in-Charge for WHO South-East Asia, Dr Nilesh Buddha, said, “In just
over two decades since Independence, Timor-Leste has added more than a decade
to the lives of its people, a tremendous achievement, and a powerful reminder
of what sustained investment, guided by the conviction that health is a
fundamental right, can achieve.”
A key highlight of the meeting
this year is a Ministerial Round Table on ‘Human Resources for Health: Equity
in Specialized Care,’ to examine how countries can better align health
workforce planning, education, deployment and retention with changing population
health needs.
Across the agenda, Member States
will consider how stronger health systems and closer regional cooperation can
help protect and improve the health and well-being of people across South-East
Asia, while ensuring countries are better prepared to respond to emergencies
and climate-related risks.
“Regional cooperation is about learning from one another. It is about ensuring that an innovation in one country becomes an opportunity for another; that evidence becomes action; and that our collective experience accelerates progress across the Region,” Dr Buddha said.