Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona declared on Tuesday that the country’s response to global health challenges must “go beyond borders” following the Philippines’s election as head of this year’s 65th Session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for the Western Pacific region.
The WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific opened on Monday in Manila to review WHO’s work over the past year and to discuss major health issues. The Regional Committee will also decide on measures the organization will take to address the health and well-being of the region’s 1.8 billion people.
“The health challenges we face today are borderless. Hence our response must go beyond borders as well,” Ona said as he welcomed the country’s election as chairman of the annual meeting of the WHO’s Governing Body in the region.
“The Philippines is fortunate to have experienced this borderless response during Supertyphoon Yolanda [international code name Haiyan]. This same spirit can be used to any threat to health in any part of our region,” Ona said, adding that indeed, health and hope for better health can be borderless.
“I believe that, as ministers, we need to work more closely with local government authorities. And we need to cast our net widely, so to speak, and engage other partners in the private sector, to work on the health of cities and densely populated areas, particularly in relation to health and the environment,” Ona said.
Over the next few days, the health chief said that he is looking forward to “your active participation in the discussions on very important health issues that require our urgent attention and action.”
Meanwhile, in his opening address to the Regional Committee, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr. Shin Young-soo expressed gratitude to the Philippines that has served as the home of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific since 1951.
“We doubly appreciate your hospitality in hosting this year’s session of the Regional Committee,” Dr. Shin said.
He also underscored the importance of adapting to better serve member States.
“At the start of my second term, I looked at ways to work harder and smarter. We must be willing to constantly reinvent ourselves to fulfil our mission of service to member States as their health needs change.…We must find new and innovative ways to improve on our performance. We must focus not only on what Member States need now — but also anticipate their future public health needs,” Dr. Shin said.