The World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) meets every year to discuss global health related issues, where the participating countries share and exchange views, policies and ideas.
But many of the members of the 34-member Bangladeshi delegation to this year’s session of the WHA in Geneva, Switzerland, one of the biggest in recent years, probably had different ideas.
A member of the delegation and highly placed official with the government said except for a few, most delegates from Bangladeshi contingent remained largely absent during the 66th Session of the WHA that took place from May 18 to 30.
He said most of the members, after attending the session for the first couple of days, disappeared from the meetings and went away on holidays to countries like France, Italy, Sweden and Germany.
Dhaka Tribune has learnt that approximately Tk25m was wrung out from the various pharmaceutical companies, leading businessmen and contractors to meet the expenses of the delegation’s airfare, accommodation, food and sightseeing.
An influential former member of the Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) has reportedly travelled to several European countries by air, while some others have taken the train.
The delegation member also said most did not have any prior experience or information about the working of the WHA.
He said: “Even the deputy secretaries from the health ministry were absent. It is a shame because it was an international assembly of health experts from around the world.”
Apart from the health minister, the 34-member delegation included the minister’s wife, personal officer, assistant personal officer, protocol officer, prime minister’s health advisor, additional secretary of the ministry, present and former members of BMA, additional director general of the health services, and the chairman and registrar of the Homeopathy board.
Only a few like Shafiqul Islam Laskar, additional secretary of the health ministry, Professor Abul Kalam Azad, additional director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), and Prof Iqbal Arslan, secretary of BMA, were actively attending the session of the WHA, the delegation member said.
Another highly-placed government official, who was also part of the delegation, told the Dhaka Tribune that Bangladesh’s big achievement at the WHA was getting the resolution on autism passed at the 133rd meeting of the executive board.
Dhaka Tribune learnt that the ministry had prepared a report on the WHA, in which it had said that the assembly was an opportunity for the country to build its image and reputation.
The report said the delegation must have enough members so that Bangladesh could have representation at all the important meetings.
When contacted, prime minister’s Health Affairs Adviser Syed Modasser Ali said: “This should not have been a ‘pleasure trip.’ Rather, it should have been for increasing knowledge and expertise.”
He also said: “The preconditions for getting selected included expertise in written and spoken English, knowledge on public health issues, eagerness, brilliance, industriousness and sense of responsibility, so that they could make the best use of their time at the assembly.”
The Bangladesh delegation that went to the WHA in 2011 was much smaller and consisted of 15 members, including six journalists.
