As Vanuatu continues to face health emergencies, the World Health Organisation General Assembly is urging all member countries to focus and drive forward health for all.
A Ministry of Health delegation attended the general assembly in Geneva Switzerland this week to address Vanuatu’s health issues at the global level.
During the opening of the meeting Director General Dr Tedros Adhanon Ghebreyesus said, “As we mark WHO’s 75th anniversary, we can be proud of our past achievements, but we must be mindful of lessons learned, as we transition from the emergency phase of Covid-19, and create a future where every person has access to the health services they need.
“This means strengthening the global architecture for health emergency preparedness, response and resilience, supporting countries on the road to universal health coverage, and building a stronger, sustainably-funded and accountable WHO."
Vanuatu on behalf of the Pacific Island Countries responded that “There have been giant strides in health in the Pacific thanks to the efforts of countries, communities, and partners like WHO.
Yaws has been eliminated in almost every Pacific Island country, indigenous polio has been gone from the Pacific since 1989, and, more recently, we eliminated trachoma as a public health problem in my country, Vanuatu, in 2022”, said Vanuatu’s Health Acting Director General, Judith Melsul.
The Vanuatu delegate to the WHO is led by Acting Director General, Melsul, Director of Curative and Hospital services, Dr Sereana Natuman, Director of Public Health, Dr Jenny Stephen and Communications officer, Dorinda Mabon.
Photo supplied Caption: Vanuatu delegation at the WHO assembly in Switzerland.
