Health Minister Mohammad Nasim makes a point while delivering a speech at a press conference at the end of the 32nd meeting of the SEAR health ministers at a city hotel on Friday. sun Photo The 67th conference of World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for South-East Asia ended in Dhaka on Friday with a call to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases in this region. The next conference of WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia will be held in East Timor in 2015. The regional committee has reached a conscious on extension of cooperation in health sector among the member states in South-East Asia. After the conclusion of the conference, Bangladesh Health Minister Mohammad Nasim held a press briefing where State Minister for Health Zahid Malek, Secretary MM Niazuddin and WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh were present. WHO South-East Asia region comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and East Timor. “Bangladesh is the only country that has signed three MoUs with different countries to export medicines and medical professionals like doctors and nurses,” Nasim said. He said, “We held bilateral talks with India, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and East Timor to strengthen health cooperation among the countries.” Many countries of the region have appreciated Bangladesh’s progress in prevention of communicable diseases, use of information technology in health sector and immunisation activities, Nasim said. The health minister said, “Saima Hossain Putul, a noted international autism expert and daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, received the Award for Excellence in Public Health in the conference and health minister of East Timor Sergio GC Lobo has been awarded by WHO for outstanding contribution to prevention of Malaria in his country.” Responding to a question on climate-induced health hazards, Regional Director of WHO Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said some costal areas of this region will be inundated because of global warming and different diseases will break out. “We would make effective collaboration and cooperation with its member states to address the issue with due attention to prevent such diseases,” she added. Praising the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the third time in the conference, Dr Poonam said, “This was the most successful meeting we have ever had.” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the meeting on September 9 while Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim discussed the ways to address vector-borne diseases. The other important issues which were discussed in the 67th session were ‘covering every birth and death: improving civil registration and vital statistics’, ‘traditional medicine’, ‘strengthening emergency and essential surgical care and an aesthesia as a component of universal health coverage’, ‘viral hepatitis’ and ‘regional strategy on strengthening health workforce education and training’.
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