WHO Conference Opens in Hanoi

The annual event will discuss health issues in the region, build policies, and adopt WHO action plans for the future, aiming to care for and improve the health of 1.8 billion people in the region.

 

Addressing the session, State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan suggested that all countries in the region present a unified voice to address common problems, work out effective strategies, resolutions and action plans to benefit the people of member countries, and make positive contributions to the development of the regional health sector.

 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that in hosting the conference for the first time, Vietnam demonstrates its willingness to co-operate with international organisations to fulfill the tasks of caring for and protecting public health.

 

Minister Tien said she hopes that the conference will be an important milestone in medical co-operation between Vietnam and other countries in the region, raising Vietnam’s image in co-operation with the WHO and its members.

 

The event offers an opportunity for Vietnamese and international experts to share experiences and lessons for success in developing the health sector, she added.

President of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, Dr. Shin Young-soo, spoke highly of Vietnam’s significant socio-economic development achievements, particularly in the health sector.

 

He said he hopes the conference will be a good opportunity for international organisations and WHO member countries to learn more about the country’s success, and further strengthen co-operation in public health development and the common goals of the countries in the region.

 

During the five day conference, delegates will focus on preventing violence and injuries, controlling tobacco, and treating neglected tropical diseases, as well as food security and nutrition. Disease transmission, eliminating measles, preventing and treating HIV/AIDS, health care financing, and health-related Millennium Development Goals will also be addressed.

 

It is expected that five resolutions and five action strategies for the Western Pacific region will be adopted at this conference. The WHO’s work over the past year will also be reviewed and mechanisms for sharing information and experiences in case of new epidemics will be discussed.

 

In recent years, the WHO has helped Vietnam improve caring for and protecting people’s health, as well as achieving the millennium goals, making significant progress in primary health care and developing a national health insurance system. The WHO is currently supporting Vietnam in dealing with and limiting the deaths from hand-food-mouth disease, and researching and developing vaccines for A/H5N1 and A/H1N1 influenza, dengue fever, and diarrhea in children.