75TH SESSION OF THE WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY

23/05/2022

Geneva, Switzerland: The 75th Session of the World Health Assembly opened today in Geneva in-person for the first time following the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key issues where decisions are expected include strengthening of WHO climate change and pollution response, the stretched and underfunded health system, NCDs, lessons learnt of the deep connection of health system and the environment, frontline workers, primary health care and preventing future pandemics.

WHO needs global support, sustainable funding is a key issue in this year’s assembly. The theme this year is ‘Health for Peace, Peace for Health. In opening the Assembly, the UN Secretary General Mr. António Guterres underscored that ‘health is hope’ and insisted on Member States to invest in this hope.

Fiji headed by the Hon. Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete, Minister for Health and Medical Services begun the session in the early morning with the ‘Walk the Talk’ event which is traditionally an annual run and walk before the opening formality of the Assembly in the meeting rooms.

Dr Waqainabete is being supported by Dr Jemesa Tudravu, Chief Medical Advisor and the staff of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Fiji to the United Nations and Other International Organisations – Geneva.

Following the ‘walk the talk’, Minister Dr Waqainabete spoke at the surgery side event for the America’s Region on the theme ‘Strengthening Surgical Care’ in the America’s’ coordinated by Ecuador in partnership with the Pan American Health Organisation (PANO), Global Surgery Foundation and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

The Minister Dr Waqainabete was invited to share the Pacific’s experience including the results of Fiji’s National Surgical Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP) guide which could be replicated in the other countries as in the America’s region.

Fiji’s address is in line with the urgent need to scale up surgical, anaesthesia and obstetrics (SAO) care and its integration into national health system plans in line with the SDG 2030 on Health and WHO’s Universal Health Coverage.

Further, Minister Dr Waqainabete had a bilateral meeting with Dr Adriana Blanca, the Head of the Secretariat for the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to review Fiji’s implementation of the FCTC and how the Secretariat could provide further support.

This week will be highly intense in Geneva in the global pursuit to reforming the global health architecture to prepare the way ahead in the global health regime where WHO plays a critical role.

The Assembly will conclude on Saturday 28th May 2022