Pranab Mukherjee to inaugurate WHO-SEAR meetings today

New Delhi, Sep 8 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate 26th Meeting of Ministers of Health from the countries of WHO South East Asia Region (SEAR) and 61st Session of Regional Committee of South East Asia Region of WHO here today.

The meetings are hosted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss will be coordinating the proceedings.

Health Ministers from eleven WHO SEAR countries and Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of the WHO along with the Regional Director for South East Asia, Dr. Samlee Pilandangchang will be participating in the meetings.

The delegations and WHO experts will discuss key health issues confronting the South East Asian Region. The annual meeting of the Health Ministers is a forum to exchange national experiences on the social, political and economic dimensions of health.

The Health Ministers' meeting is likely to discuss the status of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

India has significantly increased aggregate spending on health programmes both at the centre and state level to achieve these goals. National Rural Health Mission is progressing towards achieving the goal of universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care. The meeting will also highlight the health challenges posed by climate change.

The meeting is likely to take up issues like revitalizing primary health care, tobacco control, reduction of maternal and neo-natal mortalities responding to emerging and re-emerging vector borne diseases, public health approach to combating HIV AIDS and issues pertaining to environment and health.

ANI