SEAR/PR/1762
Kathmandu - Taking lessons from the
ongoing pandemic and emphasizing a once-in-a-century opportunity, countries of
WHO South-East Asia Region today adopted a Ministerial Declaration resolving to
strengthen health system resilience to ensure health security, and achieve
universal health coverage and Sustainable Development Goals for health.
“Strong health systems that are primary health care-oriented, and which leave
no one behind, create populations that are healthier, more productive and
financially secure. Resilient health systems are the bedrock of emergency
preparedness and response, and ensure that when acute events occur, essential
health services can be maintained,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional
Director, WHO South-East Asia, at a ministerial round table during the ongoing
Seventy-Fourth Regional Committee meeting.
Through the Declaration adopted at the ministerial round table, Member countries
committed to provide political leadership and accountability to advance health
security and progress towards universal health coverage and the health-related
SDGs.
The Member countries resolved to reorient health systems towards comprehensive
primary health care through increased public investments, as the foundation for
strengthening both public health emergency capabilities and achievement of
universal health coverage.
“The pandemic has highlighted the urgency and importance of investment in human
resource for health, especially at the primary health care level, and the need
for adequate supply of affordable, effective, quality and safe medical products
to ensure an effective response to public health emergencies and to build
resilient health systems,” the Regional Director said.
The Declaration also commits to closer engagement with and the empowerment of
communities to maintain the delivery of essential health services and public
health programmes during and after the pandemic.
To roll-out effective response for at-risk and affected communities, Member
countries agreed to ensure integration of public health emergencies and
disaster risk management strategies, as well as strengthening surveillance and
preparedness capacity at the primary health care level.
Member countries additionally resolved to accelerate integration of
noncommunicable diseases including mental health, and other programmes, at
the primary health care level, as well as establishing national quality
standards for primary health care services and ensuring access to quality
health services during the pandemic and recovery phase.
The Member countries further agreed to appropriately leverage the potential of
traditional systems of medicine, while optimizing innovations in digital health
technologies.
The declaration emphasized the importance of leveraging additional resources
and partnerships, including the important role of WHO, to support the
development of national capacities to address public health emergencies and
ensure the delivery of high-quality health services for all.
“Together we are stronger. Together we can build back better essential health
services, for a fairer, healthier and more health-secure future for all,
leaving no one behind,” the Regional Director said.