SEA/RC67/24 - Key issues arising out of the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly and the 134th and 135th sessions of the WHO Executive Board

Abstract

The attached working paper highlights, from the perspective of the WHO South-East Asia Region, the most important and relevant resolutions adopted at the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly (‎19–24 May 2014)‎ and the 134th (‎20–25 January 2014)‎ and 135th sessions (‎26–27 May 2014)‎ of the Executive Board. These resolutions are deemed to have important implications for the WHO South-East Asia Region and merit follow-up action by both Member States as well as WHO at the regional and country levels. The background of the selected resolutions, their implications on collaborative activities with Member States, as applicable, along with actions proposed for Member States and WHO have been summarized. All the resolutions of the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly are provided in the annex to this working paper. The High-Level Preparatory (‎HLP)‎ Meeting held in the Regional Office in New Delhi, India, from 14 to 17 July 2014, reviewed the attached working paper and made the following recommendations: Actions by the WHO Regional Office (‎1)‎ The Regional Office should support Member States in scaling up action to develop national viral hepatitis strategies and guidelines to combat the high morbidity and mortality due to the disease in the Region. (‎2)‎ The Regional Office should play an active role in ensuring that the health concerns and overriding health priorities of the Region are reflected adequately in the agenda and discussions due to be held on the post-2015 health agenda. (‎3)‎ The Regional Office should provide support to Member States in capacity-building for the Global Plan of Action on Antimicrobial Resistance, and to ensure better access of Member States to critical medicine. The working paper and recommendations of the HLP meeting are submitted to the Sixty-seventh Session of the WHO Regional Committee for its consideration.