Sultanate participates in WHA meetings

GENEVA: The Sultanate, represented by the Ministry of Health (MoH), is currently participating in the 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA) meetings in Geneva, Switzerland. The conference will continue until May 28. The Sultanate’s delegation is led by Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health. The meetings discuss the reports of the main committees, strategic priority matters, such as implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development document, universal health coverage, public health emergencies: preparedness and response, proposed programme budget 2020–2021, polio eradication, health, environment and climate change, access to medication and vaccines, as well as follow-up to high-level meetings of the UN General Assembly on health-related issues.

In addition, the meetings also highlight a number of technical health matters including the pandemic influenza preparedness framework for the sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits, member state mechanism on substandard and falsified medical products, human resources for health, promoting the health of refugees and migrants, patient safety, smallpox eradication, eleventh revision of the international classification of diseases, global strategy for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health (2016–2030), emergency and trauma care and the public health implications of implementation of the Nagoya Protocol. Furthermore, the meetings address a number of progress reports on some health issues and a number of administrative, financial and organisational matters. Several events, meetings and panel sessions will be arranged on the sidelines of the meetings. — ONA