ULAANBAATAR, 27 June 2019 – The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr Takeshi Kasai this week met leaders, partners, and communities in Mongolia to discuss successes and health challenges facing the country.
“This week in Mongolia, I’ve been happy to hear all the country’s leaders recognize that health is an investment, not a cost—from the President and Prime Minister, to the Ministers of Health and other portfolios, the Mayor of Ulaanbaatar City as well as leaders at the provincial and aimag level,” said Dr Kasai.
“Like other countries which are developing rapidly, Mongolia faces some new challenges to health, such as air pollution and growing rates of noncommunicable diseases like high blood pressure and cancer, as well as the need to continue battling infectious diseases like tuberculosis. Leaders and communities in other parts of our Region face similar concerns, and WHO is ready to help support Mongolia to address them. I am committed to doing so, today and into the future,” said Dr Kasai, who took up his current role in February 2019.
Dr Sergey Diorditsa, WHO Representative to Mongolia highlighted the importance of Dr Kasai’s visit. “Welcoming Dr Kasai to Mongolia on his first official visit as Regional Director, and so early in his term, is a real privilege,” he said. “Dr Kasai has a strong understanding of the unique issues facing the country. Mongolia’s sparse population, vast land, and herding legacy require unique ways of working in order to maintain and promote good health.”
Noncommunicable diseases
Mongolia has the 7th highest rate of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the WHO Western Pacific Region, with NCDs like cancer and heart disease accounting for more than 4 out of 5 deaths.
“NCDs are a major issue in Mongolia, and as the population ages we will see more people living with chronic conditions,” said Dr Kasai. “We need stronger controls on risk factors, like tobacco and unhealthy foods. But we also need robust health systems that can care for people throughout their lives and assist them in pursuing a healthier lifestyle.”
The country and WHO are currently taking strong steps to address NCDs, including programmes to address risk factors such as unhealthy diet, and the launch this week of the MongPEN project to help health workers assess people’s risk for heart disease and provide better services in communities.
Air pollution, climate change and health
In the capital, Ulaanbaatar, which is home to around half of the total population, air pollution is among the highest in the world, putting people at risk of diseases like stroke, heart disease and lung cancer. According to WHO estimates, over 1100 Mongolians die from air pollution-related diseases each year.
In addition, Mongolia is vulnerable to climate change. The mean temperature has increased by more than 2°C over the past 70 years and almost 80% of the territory has been affected by desertification to some degree. This creates health risks, as the country’s resilience is diminished by water scarcity and changing weather patterns.
“People in Mongolia are concerned about environmental health hazards like air pollution and climate change, the effects of which they experience every day,” said Dr Kasai. “We are working closely with the Government and other partners to tackle these issues. The recent prohibition of the use of unprocessed coal is a step in the right direction.”
Influenza and health security
During his visit to Mongolia, Dr Kasai attended a high-level meeting on health security and multisectoral collaboration. A key topic of discussion was pandemic preparedness. The Mongolian Government has demonstrated good practice to advance health security, bringing together all relevant sectors such as education, social protection, finance, environment, and emergency.
“Outbreaks of seasonal flu place a heavy burden on health workers and facilities, as large numbers of vulnerable people seek medical care; and it’s even worse during a pandemic. I’m pleased to see Mongolia using outbreaks of seasonal flu as an opportunity to further strengthen the system as a whole. Now, more focus should be giving to primary health care so that it’s ready to cope with the next pandemic,” said Dr Kasai.
The Government is taking a system-wide approach to reinforce preparedness for seasonal and pandemic flu, putting people at the centre and working with other sectors, partners, civil society and the private sector.
Tuberculosis, hepatitis: unfinished agendas
Significant progress has been made in tackling infectious diseases in Mongolia, but diseases like tuberculosis and hepatitis are still key concerns. Mongolia has the world’s highest rates of illnesses and of death due to liver cancer, with over 95% of liver cancer cases resulting from infection with hepatitis B or C. But the Government, in partnership with WHO, is taking steps to improve detection and treatment of hepatitis.
“Mongolia’s Healthy Liver Programme is a great example of how to reach everyone—no matter where they live—with the care they need. Now it’s time to apply those lessons to other infectious diseases like TB,” said Dr Kasai. “We are committed to working with the Government to further strengthen primary health care to do just that.”
Meeting and greeting
Dr Kasai met with the President of Mongolia Battulga Khaltmaa, Prime Minister Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, Minister of Health Sarangerel Davaajantsan, Ulaanbaatar Mayor Sainbuyan Amarsaikhan, and other leaders and officials from the National Center for Communicable Diseases, National Center for Public Health, and Songinokhairkhan District Health Department.
During a trip to Dundgovi Province, Dr Kasai met with the management and health workers from Dundgovi Provincial Health Department, the general hospital, as well as Gurvansaikhan soum health facility to gain insights into local conditions and initiatives. He also spent time with a herder family in the Gobi desert, to get a sense of the lifestyle and challenges facing people in Mongolia’s rural areas.
Notes to editors
Dr Kasai began a five-year term as the seventh WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific on 1 February 2019.
The WHO Representative Office in Mongolia was established in 1971. It is located in the Ministry of Health building in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Countries and areas of the WHO Western Pacific Region: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, France (which has responsibility for French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna), Hong Kong SAR (China), Japan, Kiribati, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Macao SAR (China), Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Mongolia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (which has responsibility for Pitcairn Islands), the United States of America (which has responsibility for American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam), Vanuatu and Viet Nam.