Roadmap to results: Transforming health across the WHO South-East Asia Region

In February 2024, as Saima Wazed assumed charge as the WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, she initiated a bold and transformative vision for health, the ‘Regional Roadmap for Results and Resilience.’

Developed through extensive consultation, the roadmap was subsequently discussed with and endorsed by Member States in Geneva in May 2024. It serves as a tactical framework to guide Member States and the Region in addressing persistent health system gaps and realizing the full potential of health and well-being for all. A year later, this shared strategy is delivering tangible change across countries, communities, and systems.  

Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region, with delegates from Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region in Geneva (Photo: WHO SEARO)

The Roadmap was born out of a recognition that health challenges in the Region cannot be solved through fragmented approaches. Instead, it called for holistic, equitable, innovative, sustainable, and enabling actions captured through five pillars- (R1) Reinforcing mental health, well-being and quality of life; (R2) Reaffirming investment in women, girls, adolescents, and vulnerable populations; (R3) Realizing access to technology and innovations; (R4) Raising capacity, knowledge, management and research, and (R5) Refining WHO’s leadership and performance.

These pillars work in synergy with countries’ health priorities, enabling more effective implementation, bridging persistent gaps, and building more resilient systems. Between 2024-2025, these principles were translated into diverse public health gains across the Region.

From Bhutan’s PEMA Mental Health Symposium, and Thailand’s launch of a digital depression intervention, to Timor-Leste’s 100% HPV vaccination coverage among girls and its first oxygen generating plant, the Roadmap began to visibly influence results on the ground.

Reinforcing mental-health, and well-being

Mental health, long underfunded and stigmatized, emerged as a flagship issue during 2024-2025. Bhutan convened the PEMA Mental Health Symposium, and Thailand hosted the 2^nd International Mental Health Workforce Training Programme with WHO Support.

In Bangladesh, WHO supported enhanced mental health service delivery in primary health care settings. In Nepal, WHO provided training and facilitated the integration of mental health and NCD care, including hypertension care into primary health care. NCD and mental health services were also integrated into PHC in Maldives through the Faafu Atoll Demonstration Project. 

The WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) training on interventions underway in Nepal supported by WHO and partners (Photo: WHO Nepal)

Additionally assistive technology training was delivered in India, Myanmar, and Nepal to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

In Thailand, the Healthy Cities initiative recognized 274 cities for promoting health-friendly urban environments and policies. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka hosted a Regional event on World Diabetes Day, drawing attention to the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases and reinforcing the importance of integrated, preventive approaches to well-being.

Investment in women, girls, adolescents, and vulnerable populations

Equity lies at the Roadmap’s core. During 2024-2025, countries acted decisively. Bangladesh reached 88% HPV coverage, immunizing over 7.2 million girls and 650 000 under-immunized children, while Timor-Leste achieved 100% HPV coverage among eligible girls.

India adopted WHO’s Essential Childbirth Course and rolled out aspirational health blocks at grassroots levels to extend care to grassroots communities.

 The Regional office released a new Implementation Guidance for Universal Newborn Screening to support countries in planning and integrating screening for hearing impairment, eye abnormalities and neonatal jaundice into health systems, with the goal of early detection of the three conditions and timely intervention for all newborns.

Since the launch of the Implementation Guidance for Universal Newborn Screening, several Member States have initiated steps to adopt and integrate the recommended screenings into their health systems. For instance, Sri Lanka has conducted a feasibility assessment of integrating these tests into a structured universal newborn screening package, supported by WHO and the Ministry of Health.

Regional Director interacting with parents at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, during her visit to the WHO Collaborating Centre for Training and Research in Newborn Care at AIIMS. (Photo: WHO SEARO)

Maldives launched a decade-long Thalassaemia Master Plan, while Thailand conducted the ‘MMR Avenger Campaign’ to address suboptimal measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine coverage. Thailand also collaborated with WHO and the UN Network on Migration to produce the 2024 Migration Report analyzing migrant health. 

Regional Director Saima Wazed, along with H.E. Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef, Vice President of the Maldives, and Mr Abdulla Nazim, Minister of Health, launched the National Master Plan for Thalassemia (2024–2034) on 15th October (Photo: President's Office, Maldives)

At the regional level, a Ministerial Declaration on Adolescent Health was endorsed at the Regional Committee meeting in New Delhi, reflecting high-level commitment to young people’s well-being. 

The South-East Asia Regional Strategy for Healthy Ageing 2024–2030 was developed in partnership with Member States and aligned with the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing and the SDGs. Each of these efforts underscored the commitment to leaving no one behind.

Realizing access to technology and innovations

Under the innovation pillar, digital health strategies gained momentum across the Region. WHO supported the development of national digital health blueprints in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, and Timor-Leste to strengthen digital infrastructure. Thailand introduced the “Step-by-Step” app-based intervention for depression, while India’s Tele MANAS programme was scaled nationally and reviewed by WHO across all 36 states and union territories, showcasing how digital platforms can extend mental health care access.

To enhance surveillance and early response, WHO launched the SEAR Dengue Dashboard to bolster regional vector monitoring. WHO collaborated with the Ministry of Health and youth influencers in India to promote tobacco cessation through digital campaigns that ‘packed a punch.’ Continued advocacy also supported the enactment of comprehensive tobacco control measures in Indonesia.

Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste are set to implement the Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP) by 2026, with support from the Pandemic Fund. To promote healthier food systems, WHO developed a regional nutrient profiling guide for use by Member States.

Raising capacity, knowledge, management, and research

Countries across the Region made meaningful progress in building resilient and knowledge driven health systems. WHO supported the expansion of primary health care innovations and workforce development, including the training of over 200 health staff in emergency response.

In Myanmar, WHO-supported regimens led to a 95% treatment success rate for drug-resistant TB. In Timor-Leste, the first oxygen-generating plant was established and training began for the country’s first field epidemiology cohort.

Regional Director, Saima Wazed, examining the oxygen generation systems installed in Timor-Leste, 2024. (Photo: WHO Timor-Leste)

The South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF) provided US$ 1.1 million for emergencies in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, and was expanded to US$ 3 million per biennium.

The Regional Director and Indonesia’s Vice-Minister of Health launched the publication ‘Positive Practices in Developing PHC-oriented Health Systems’ to showcase regional learnings. India’s drug regulatory authority moved toward WHO maturity level-3 reassessment.

To foster knowledge-sharing, SEAHEARTS, a digital platform was introduced to enable Member States to exchange Roadmap implementation practices. A major milestone was also achieved as all countries in the Region began the nationwide roll-out of ICD-11, helping modernize and standardize health information systems across the Region.

WHO as an enabler

WHO’s leadership focused on enabling country-led progress through partnerships and system reforms.  

Support to national regulatory authorities remained a priority. In India, WHO worked closely with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to prepare for a review of its vaccine approval system, aligning it with updated global standards.  WHO also facilitated mRNA technology transfer collaborations among pharmaceutical firms in Bangladesh, India, and Indonesia to strengthen regional vaccine production capacity.

In support of workforce and system strengthening, WHO collaborated with the Ministry of Health and UNDP in the Maldives to train 600 health professionals in safer health-care waste management. A bi-regional workshop, co-hosted with the WHO Western Pacific Region, raised awareness on the Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP), promoting integrated and resilient laboratory systems.

Progress in cross-border and multisectoral health efforts was further demonstrated through the conclusion of a joint project supporting the ASEAN One Health Initiative. This was carried out in collaboration with the Quadripartite partners, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

Addressing urgent global threats, WHO co-organized a high-level event on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with AMRO-PAHO, the UN Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust. The event was co-hosted by five countries, including Thailand and Timor-Leste, highlighting the Region’s commitment to a unified AMR response.

Underscoring strong regional ownership and confidence in WHO’s leadership, Member States and partners pledged over US$345 million during the first-ever Regional Investment Round, marking a significant step toward achieving shared health goals.

As part of its commitment to mental health and well-being. WHO Regional Office launched SEARO Care, a tailored initiative to promote and protect the mental health and wellness of its workforce. The programme focuses on building a psychologically safe workplace through inclusive dialogue, peer support networks and access to mental health resources.

Regional Director, Saima Wazed, speaking at a side event on SEARO Care at RC77 (Photo: WHO SEARO)

Charting the path ahead

The achievements of 2024 are not just individual milestones, they are a testament to the Roadmap’s role as a catalyst. By aligning national efforts with a shared strategic vision and emphasizing practical implementation, the Roadmap is supporting countries not only to progress on SDG targets but to build health systems that are resilient, inclusive, and future-ready.

The Roadmap is guiding Member States and WHO in the region in their accelerated efforts for public health.  At the regional governing body meeting, Regional Director felicitated Member States for their achievements and progress.

Bhutan was honoured for reaching the 2030 targets towards eliminating cervical cancer India for eliminating trachoma, Timor-Leste for eliminating lymphatic filariasis, and Maldives and Sri Lanka for controlling hepatitis B in children.

Bhutan was recognized for achieving the SDG and global 2030 targets of reducing under 5 mortality and stillbirth rates. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand   were awarded for achieving the SDG and global targets for reduction of under-5 mortality, neonatal mortality and stillbirth rates. 

Member States being felicitated at the Seventy-seventh session of the Regional Committee for South-East Asia in New Delhi

Speaking at a recent roundtable on ‘Accelerating SDG 3: Ensuring health and well-being for all’, Regional Director, Saima Wazed, underlined the deeper significance of this collective journey.