Eleven Southeast Asian countries will hold a five-day meeting in September to discuss priority health issues, the World Health Organization said on August 31.


 

The meeting will be held from September 3 to 7, attended by the health ministers and senior officials from 11 countries -- India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, North Korea, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste. The WHO has picked these 11 countries in order to focus on improving the health of the people in these regions.

The member countries will focus on intensifying the efforts to reduce dengue cases, eliminate malaria and also discuss measures against all vector-borne diseases including chikungunya and zika. They will also deliberate on improving access to essential medicines, vaccines and medical products both within the WHO Southeast Asia region and beyond and also strengthening of emergency medical teams, it said.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Southeast Asia Regional Director Poonam Khetrapal Singh and WHO Deputy Director General Jane Elizabeth Ellison will be participating in the meeting, along with other organisations.