The 67th annual assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) opened in Geneva yesterday, with delegates from around the globe participating on discussions on key global health issues.
The week-long event will be attended by over 3,000 delegates from 194 member states.
The issues that are on the assembly agenda include efforts to prevent and control non-communicable diseases, a new global strategy and target to prevent and control tuberculosis, proposals to improve the health of patients with viral hepatitis, and a draft action plan for newborn health.
Discussions will also be held on progress of the WHO’s global strategy for maternal and young child nutrition, progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and the role of health on the post-2015 development agenda, ways to tackle antimicrobial drug resistance, management of autism, and protecting more people from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Bangladesh is also participating at the assembly; however, this year’s delegation is only six persons strong, smaller than last year’s 34-member team. Since 2009, the team of delegates has not numbered below 20.
The Bangladeshi delegation includes Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Pran Gopal Datta, Community Clinic Project Director Makduma Nargis, Chairperson of Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation Dr SK Roy, health minister’s APS Mir Mosharrof Hossain, and Directorate of Family Planning Director General Nur Hossain Talukder.
Three officials from the Bangladeshi Embassy in Switzerland have also got the nod from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to attend the assembly.
The initial proposed delegation had more than 20 names, but the PMO curtailed the recommendations following claims that most participants in the previous assembly had skipped the entire programme except for attending the inaugural photo session, sources claimed.
The Bangladeshi delegation will be participating in a number of events arranged on the sidelines of the assembly, including acting as an organiser of an event on autism and taking part in a discussion on community health care.
Health Minister Mohammed Nasim will also deliver a speech on the post-2015 development agenda at a special event.
