Ministers of South-east Asian countries with ministers of the Bhutanese government
Strengthening and developing community-based health workers and health volunteers to reach the unreached was one of the decisions taken by the 25th meeting of health ministers of the South-East Asian countries in Thimphu on August 31.
“The region has a lot of poor and underprivileged people and reaching health care to the unreached population is our key issue,� said the WHO’s regional director, Dr. Samlee Plianbangchang. “We have to ensure health workers and volunteers go around and reach out to these people.�
The decision came about with the ministers from Bangladesh, Bhutan, DPR Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste emphasising the strengthening of health systems and health work-force within the region and on the health implications from global warming.
It had become even more pertinent with the region facing emerging infectious diseases like SARS and Avian Influenza.
The WHO director-general, Dr. Margaret Chan, said that, while Bhutan was the only country among 193 countries on track to achieving the Millennium Development Goals in 2015, it had to put in more effort to further improve its maternal and mortality rate.
Bhutan’s health secretary, Dasho (Dr.) Gado Tshering, said that maternal mortality, where many women died of pregnancy-related complications, was still high and that the issue was a major focus in the 10th plan, which begins in July next year.
The other issue that the health ministry faced was the shortage of technically qualified people.
Non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, cancers, mental stress and traffic accidents were also growing issues, especially in terms of sustenance, with people still expecting medical attention and treatment free of cost. The ministers of the region also asked WHO to help them in terms of an assessment of the health impact of global warming.
One of the participants at the meeting said that, as global warming could not be prevented, the region would have to look at adaptation measures.
A recent study, pointed out a WHO official, showed that the Himalayan countries would face 50 Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) and 25 of them would occur in Bhutan. When this would happen is not certain.
Countries like Maldives, on the other hand, expressed their concern about rising sea levels.
Dr. Margaret Chan said that WHO was creating awareness across the globe and talking with governments to come up with their own mitigation strategies and solutions and focusing on communities within the region to see if there was enough awareness on global warming.
The Thimphu Declaration on International Health Security will be adopted today.
The regional committee meeting in Thimphu will also start today. Source: Kuenselonline
