A delegation of Belarus' Healthcare Ministry led by minister Valery Malashko will take part in the 71st session of the World Health Assembly that will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, on 21-26 May, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Healthcare Ministry.
The session will be attended by healthcare ministers and delegates from 194 WHO Member States. They will discuss a broad range of issues, including the general agenda of the World Health Organization – the five-year strategic plan to help support countries to achieve the health-related targets across the Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The WHO's general agenda features targets each comprising a one-billion people goal and together coined as the ‘triple billion goals'. They include: 1 billion more people benefitting from universal health coverage, 1 billion more people better protected from health emergencies, and 1 billion more people enjoying better health and well-being, respectively.
The assembly is to discuss preparedness and response of public health organizations to climate change. The delegates will study a draft roadmap to scale up efforts to mitigate the negative impact of air pollution on human health. The participants of the session will communicate their views on addressing the global shortage of medicines and vaccines, and discuss the global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property. Other key points of the agenda include introduction of mobile healthcare and use of digital technologies in public healthcare.
This year the agenda of the session features eradication of poliomyelitis, WHO's work in health emergencies, physical activity for health, global snakebite burden and rheumatic heart disease.
The Belarusian delegation will have a busy schedule in Geneva. They will take part in the inauguration of WHO's initiative Walk the Talk attended by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and healthcare ministers of the participating states. The Belarusian delegation will take part in the work of the 25th Standing Committee of WHO's Regional Committee for Europe. On 21 May the delegation will attend the plenary meeting of the assembly to discuss the draft thirteenth general program of work for 2019–2023. Valery Malashko is expected to meet with WHO's officials and healthcare ministers of WHO's Member States.
