The 63rd session of World Health Organisation (WHO) RegionalCommittee for the Western Pacific wrapped up in Hanoi on September27, reaching a high consensus on measures to promote health care foraround 1.8 billion people in the region.
Themeeting adopted 10 resolutions and action plans, focusing onoutstanding issues in the region such as HIV/AIDS, non-communicablediseases, neglected tropical diseases, and tobacco control.
WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Shin Young-soo spoke highly of Vietnam ’s efforts in implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially in reducing mortality rate among newborns, raising vaccination coverage to 98 percent and controlling the number of HIV/AIDS infected people.
According to Shin, more than 90 percent ofpeople living with HIV in the region are from Cambodia, China,Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam. High risk groups,including sex workers, men having sex with men and people who injectdrugs, continue to drive the HIV epidemic.
"Political commitments made by countries at the United Nations GeneralAssembly High-Level Meeting in 2011 to reach bold HIV targets by 2015have not yet led to increased resources to help meet those targets," hesaid.
One of the special concerns of participating countries and territories, especially host Vietnam, was the implementation ofuniversal health insurance. At a special side event organised by theVietnamese Government, member states, including China, Japan, theRepublic of Korea and Vietnam, shared their experiences in progressing towards universal health coverage.
They held that progressing towards universal health coverage requireshigh-level government commitment and a multisectoral response. Healthministries alone cannot achieve universal health coverage. Governmentinvestment in health is fundamental, especially to ensure that disadvantaged persons gain access to health services.
Shin said that although most countries in the region are experiencingsteady economic growth, government spending on health remains lowcompared to other regions.
"When the poor fall sick, the cost of treatment, if they can afford it at all, oftentips them further into hardship," he said. "When that happens, they areeven more susceptible to ill-health, resulting in greater poverty."
While health financing is critical, making good-quality services available and accessible is the cornerstone of universal health, he noted.
WHO has also urged its member states in the Western Pacific region todevelop strategies to increase and use more efficiently theirinvestments in health as a means to achieve universal health coverage inthe region.
The 64 th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific will be held in the Philippines next year.-VNA
Themeeting adopted 10 resolutions and action plans, focusing onoutstanding issues in the region such as HIV/AIDS, non-communicablediseases, neglected tropical diseases, and tobacco control.
WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Shin Young-soo spoke highly of Vietnam ’s efforts in implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially in reducing mortality rate among newborns, raising vaccination coverage to 98 percent and controlling the number of HIV/AIDS infected people.
According to Shin, more than 90 percent ofpeople living with HIV in the region are from Cambodia, China,Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam. High risk groups,including sex workers, men having sex with men and people who injectdrugs, continue to drive the HIV epidemic.
"Political commitments made by countries at the United Nations GeneralAssembly High-Level Meeting in 2011 to reach bold HIV targets by 2015have not yet led to increased resources to help meet those targets," hesaid.
One of the special concerns of participating countries and territories, especially host Vietnam, was the implementation ofuniversal health insurance. At a special side event organised by theVietnamese Government, member states, including China, Japan, theRepublic of Korea and Vietnam, shared their experiences in progressing towards universal health coverage.
They held that progressing towards universal health coverage requireshigh-level government commitment and a multisectoral response. Healthministries alone cannot achieve universal health coverage. Governmentinvestment in health is fundamental, especially to ensure that disadvantaged persons gain access to health services.
Shin said that although most countries in the region are experiencingsteady economic growth, government spending on health remains lowcompared to other regions.
"When the poor fall sick, the cost of treatment, if they can afford it at all, oftentips them further into hardship," he said. "When that happens, they areeven more susceptible to ill-health, resulting in greater poverty."
While health financing is critical, making good-quality services available and accessible is the cornerstone of universal health, he noted.
WHO has also urged its member states in the Western Pacific region todevelop strategies to increase and use more efficiently theirinvestments in health as a means to achieve universal health coverage inthe region.
The 64 th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific will be held in the Philippines next year.-VNA
