Health ministers of WHO South-East Asia Region meeting next week to advance action on key health priorities

Health ministers and senior officials from the WHO South-East Asia Region will meet in Dili, Timor-Leste, next week to advance action on equitable access to specialized care, accelerate efforts to end tuberculosis, and harness digital health and artificial intelligence, among other priorities, to improve health and health systems across a Region home to nearly 2 billion people.

The Seventy-ninth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia, the annual governing body meeting of WHO in the Region, is being hosted by Timor-Leste from 7 to 10 September. The meeting brings together Ministers of Health and senior officials from Member States across the Region.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Office-in-Charge for WHO South-East Asia, Dr Nilesh Buddha, and other senior WHO officials are expected to participate.

A Ministerial Round Table on 'Human Resources for Health: Equity in Specialized Care' will examine how countries can better ensure access to specialized health services as populations age and health needs evolve.

The South-East Asia Region remains at the centre of the global tuberculosis epidemic, with an estimated 3.68 million new TB cases and 433 000 deaths in 2024. While progress has been made, Member States will consider strategic priorities to close remaining gaps and accelerate action towards ending TB, including through early diagnosis, prevention and stronger integration of TB services within primary health care.

Opportunities offered by digital technologies and artificial intelligence will be discussed to advance universal health coverage and strengthen health systems.

The Regional Committee will also review progress towards universal health coverage and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals, as continued efforts are needed to strengthen primary health care, quality of care, financial protection and health systems and ensure that progress reaches everyone.

With more than 35 communicable disease elimination milestones achieved in the Region since 2014, Member States will consider how a more integrated, people-centred approach can accelerate progress towards the remaining 2030 elimination targets, particularly in the last mile.

Other priorities include improving access to quality medical devices and diagnostics, including through a life-cycle approach covering their selection, procurement, use and maintenance; and strengthening the resilience of health facilities so they can withstand emergencies and climate-related risks while maintaining essential health services.