WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee session begins in Colombo with focus on equity, resilience, health for all

Colombo [Sri Lanka], October 13 : The 78th session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Committee began on Monday in Sri Lanka's Colombo, with health leaders from across the region reaffirming their commitment to building a healthier, more equitable and resilient region amid ongoing global health challenges.

As per an official release, the three-day session, hosted by Sri Lanka this year, serves as the governing body meeting of the WHO in the region.

The event was inaugurated by the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Jagath Wickramaratne.

Key speakers at the opening session included WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Sri Lanka's Minister of Health and Mass Media, Nalinda Jayatissa.

Ministers of Health and senior officials from the region's member states, as well as global health partners, are participating in the high-level discussions.

Dr. Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge of WHO South-East Asia, underscored the urgency of strengthening global health security and regional collaboration.

Highlighting WHO's revised International Health Regulations and the historic Pandemic Agreement, Dr. Boehme said the organisation is restructuring to become "leaner, more agile and responsive" to the evolving health needs of countries.

"In a world of complex crises, shifting global health dynamics, and tightening fiscal space, WHO is aiming at being more focused, effective, and accountable to the people we serve... We will harness innovation, strengthen leadership, and deliver measurable outcomes guided by one principle: health for all, by all," she stated.

A ministerial round table on healthy ageing is a key highlight of the session.

With projections that by 2050, one in five people in the region will be over 60 years of age, Dr. Boehme called it both "a triumph of development and a challenge" that requires reimagining health systems, especially at the primary care level.

The Committee will also address the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases, with particular emphasis on combating tobacco use, the leading cause of preventable death in the region. With over 280 million adult smokeless tobacco users and around 11 million adolescent tobacco users in the Region, discussions will include regulatory measures against smokeless tobacco, electronic cigarettes, nicotine pouches and areca nuts, as per the release.

Another key agenda item is the expansion of the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF), a regional funding mechanism that has supported 49 emergencies in 10 Member States since 2008. The Fund's mandate has been broadened to include emergency preparedness.

Antimicrobial resistance will also be a major focus, as Member States are expected to align regional policy actions with global strategies to curb the growing threat.

"Our systems must be readynot just to treat illness, but to accompany people through life - with prevention, with continuity, and with care that starts in the community," Dr Boehme said, thanking Member States for their ongoing commitment to health promotion, provision, and protection across the Region.

The WHO South-East Asia Region comprises 10 countries, which include Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.

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