Distinguished RTAG members, programme managers, partners and colleagues
Good morning. I am pleased to welcome you all to this important Regional Technical Advisory Group meeting.
We are meeting at a crucial time. Dengue and other arboviral diseases are increasing threats to public health, not just in South-East Asia but around the world. Dengue is now endemic in 128 countries, putting as many as 3.6 billion people at risk.
In our region, in 2023 alone, we had over 1.16 million cases of dengue, and sadly more than 4,300 deaths. It is undoubtedly one of our major public health challenges.
The need for strengthened and coordinated action is clear, and this is why the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Grade 3 emergency for dengue globally in December 2023.
Other arboviral diseases are also a concern. Sporadic zika cases have been reported in six countries in our region, and periodic chikungunya outbreaks have also occurred in recent years.
I would like to acknowledge that our region has made progress—but we have more work to do. We have strengthened dengue surveillance but need to do more for prevention and control. We need to transition from a reactive, outbreak-centric approach to a programmatic strategy. We also need to expand capacity for other arboviral diseases. It is only then that we can build lasting resilience and reduce the cycle of repeated epidemics.
Strengthening health system capacity is central to this change. This includes case management, diagnostics, laboratory and surveillance infrastructure, entomology and integrated vector control, and community engagement. Institutionalizing these capacities will make our progress sustainable, and this is what we must do.
Mobilizing communities is also crucial, because vector control campaigns need the trust and participation of the people most at risk.
Interdepartmental collaboration will also be needed as viral, vector, and environmental dynamics evolve.
During this meeting, you will be reviewing the latest draft of the Regional Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Dengue and other Arboviral Diseases.
This Action Plan is ambitious—as it must be—and we will need your expertise to achieve its vision. I trust that your insights will shape a forward-looking and practical framework.
I thank you all for your leadership, and for your contributions to the health of the people of South-East Asia.
I hope that you have a productive meeting and look forward to being appraised of the outcomes.
Thank you.