GENEVA: Minister of Public Health and Chair of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO), HE Dr Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari, presented the Executive Board's report from its 153rd and 154th sessions, as well as its 7th special session, at the 77th World Health Assembly meetings held in Geneva, which continue until June 1.
She highlighted that during the 7th special session in December 2023, the Executive Board adopted a resolution on the health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. The resolution called on member states, donors, and international humanitarian and development actors to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people. The Board also expressed deep concern about the severe humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip.
The Minister noted that the Executive Board recommended the World Health Assembly adopt a decision to promote health and well-being through sports events.
The draft decision for the "Strengthening Health and Well-Being Through Sports Events," adopted by the Executive Board in its 154th session, was proposed by Qatar and supported by numerous countries, including EU member states, African Union countries, China, Belarus, Malaysia, Panama, and countries from the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The draft decision builds on the extensive experience and legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, aiming to use major global sports events as beacons of health and safety, underscoring the interconnection between sports and health as sources of happiness and well-being.
During her report, Dr Al Kuwari noted the Executive Board's appointments of Dr Hanan Hassan Balkhy as Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Saima Wazed as Regional Director for South-East Asia, and Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala as Regional Director for the Western Pacific. The Board expressed profound gratitude for the significant contributions of the outgoing regional directors.
She also pointed out that the Executive Board decided to recommend the World Health Assembly adopt several decisions, including the "Global Strategy and Action Plan for Integrated Emergency, Critical, and Operational Care 2026-2035," the "Increasing Availability, Ethical Access and Oversight of Transplantation of Human Cells, Tissues and Organs," and the "Global Action Plan and Monitoring Framework on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) 2024-2030."
She reviewed the main outcomes of the Executive Board sessions on several key issues within WHO's four pillars: ensuring another billion people benefit from universal health coverage, another billion people enjoy better health and well-being, better protecting another billion people from health emergencies, and enhancing the organization's efficiency and effectiveness in providing better support to countries.
The WHO Executive Board consists of 34 members with technical qualifications in health, elected for three-year terms. Its main functions are to implement the decisions and policies of the World Health Assembly, advise it, and generally facilitate its work.