Minister Larue at world health assembly |23 May 2016

Health Minister Mitcy Larue is leading a five-member delegation to the 69th World Health Assembly which opens today at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Other members of the delegation are health principal secretary, Dr Bernard Valentin; health policy consultant, Dr Conrad Shamlaye; principal nursing officer for training and development, Anselmine Cafrine and Seychelles’ ambassador to Belgium, Selby Pillay.

The week-long assembly which ends on May 28, will gather health ministers, advisors and technicians from around the world to meet and discuss under this year’s theme: ‘Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’.

The assembly will be officially opened by the director general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Margaret Chan, followed by plenary and several committee sessions with topics such as reforms in WHO, prevention and control of communicable diseases, maternal, infant and young children nutrition, ending childhood obesity, adopting a plan of action on human violence, a public health dimension of the world drug problem and discussing plan of action vis-à-vis tobacco control and its consequences to health and road safety vis-à-vis alcohol consumption.

Monitoring and achievements of the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) together with taking forward a global strategy on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health aimed at promoting health through a life course will also be discussed at the assembly.

The preparedness, surveillance and response of pandemic outbreaks such as Zika, Ebola, Dengue and Poliomyelitis and the options for strengthening information-sharing on diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic and pharmaceutical products is also included on the agenda.

In September last year, the UN General Assembly adopted this year’s theme as an agenda for a new health development. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) integrate all three dimensions for sustainable development -- economic, social and environmental -- around the themes of people planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. The SDGs recognise that eradicating poverty and inequality, creating inclusive economic growth and preserving the planet are inextricably linked not only to each other but also to the health of a population.

Health is centrally positioned in the SDGs with one comprehensive goal – to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages including 13 targets that cover all health priorities and linkages with many other goals.

Other major themes include universal health coverage, equity and integrated approaches, inter-sectoral action and good governance for health, follow ups and reviews. This new sustainable development agenda and theme has major implications for the health sector at global, regional and country levels.

During her involvement at the World Health Assembly, Minister Larue will address the assembly and also meet the WHO director general and the regional WHO director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti who is based in Brazzaville, Congo.

She will also hold meetings on bilateral co-operation in the health sector with other global health ministers attending the assembly.