KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will be representing the country in the 75th World Health Assembly, (WHA75) and the 151st World Health Organisation (WHO) executive board meeting (EB151) from May 22 to 30.
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The delegation, to be headed by its Minister Khairy Jamaluddin will also be joined by Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and ministry senior officials.
Their attendance will also be under the capacity of the WHA75 vice-president as well as WHO board executives representing the Western Pacific Region, where Khairy and Dr Noor Hisham have been appointed as WHO board executive members at the ministerial level.
Khairy is expected to intervene in agenda discussions, including discussions on Infection prevention and control, Global Peace for Health, Traditional Medicine, and Influenza Preparedness.
He is also expected to deliver a statement on behalf of the government, which will touch on the WHA75 theme which is Health for Peace, Peace for Health and several other aspects such as Covid-19 and Transitioning to Endemicity, Vaccine Equity, National Healthcare System, Behavioural Sciences and Digital Health.
At the conferences, Khairy will be speaking at the Strategic Dialogue of Behavioral Science held as one of the WHA75’s side events, read a statement from the MoH.
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The speaking engagement is part of recognising the Health Ministry and the government’s commitment, role and direct involvement in global health issues including the management of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In between conferences, Khairy will also be fulfilling a special invite from World Economic Forum (WEF) president Børge Brende, to Davos, Switzerland where he is scheduled to participate in three-panel discussions.
He is expected to participate in the Governors Meeting – global health and healthcare policy discussion; strengthening health systems resilience and financing, and equitable global vaccine manufacturing on May 24 and 25 before returning to Geneva for WHA75 and EB151.
Malaysia’s participation in these global conferences is crucial to ensure the importance of national public health policy is given due consideration by the WHO in making any decision.
The participation shows that the country is given the opportunity to state its stance on developing the health sector at the national and international levels, as well as Malaysia’s cooperation and efforts in developing the health sector holistically within the country and in the Western Pacific Region.-NST