The seventy-sixth session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for the Western Pacific is taking place from 20 to 24 October in Nadi, Fiji. Ministers of health and delegates from 38 countries and areas are discussing health priorities for the Region’s 2.2 billion people, representing over a quarter of the world’s population.
The Region’s most important annual gathering comes at a time of mounting challenges to public health systems in countries both large – such as China and Indonesia – and small, including sparsely populated, far-flung Pacific islands.
“Member States recognize that health – as a pillar of social and economic development – has never been more important in our interconnected Region and world,” explained Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific.
“The agenda this year highlights urgent priorities, from tackling noncommunicable and infectious diseases to the climate crisis, as well as health systems strengthening,” he added. “We are addressing all of these priorities through existing global frameworks customized for our Region.”
An ambitious yet practical agenda
The agenda for the annual meeting is clustered around three issues.
The first is noncommunicable diseases, with a focus on alcohol and tobacco control through WHO best-buy measures, such as increasing alcohol and tobacco taxes and clamping down on insidious marketing aimed at young people. Also under discussion will be the urgency of incorporating oral health into primary health care in the Region, where more than 800 million people live with largely preventable oral health diseases.
The second issue is climate change and its impact on health, including strengthening climate-resilient health systems and the launch of a new five-year regional climate and health strategy developed, in consultation with Member States, by the WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health in the Western Pacific Region.
The third major issue focuses on strengthening preparedness for and response to health emergencies through the implementation of recent amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005), which is complemented by the WHO Pandemic Agreement endorsed by Member States earlier this year.
In addition to these issues, the Regional Committee will consider measures on how to make safer surgery both more accessible and affordable; employ artificial intelligence as a tool to broaden access to health services, including for communities and populations traditionally left behind; and support countries and areas facing an alarming resurgence of HIV, including Fiji, to tackle outbreaks through strategic approaches involving impacted populations.
The annual session of the Regional Committee comes at a time of unprecedented challenge for WHO, amid restructuring in the wake of the significant financial impact of the decision by the United States of America to withdraw from the Organization.
“The past year has been one of the most difficult ever. But I can truly say that today we are far more fit-for-purpose going forward,” said Dr Piukala.
“We prioritize how to support our Member States more effectively through targeted interventions in specific areas – including immunization, hypertension and clean water in health facilities,” he added. “We are demonstrating that by moving the needle incrementally, we will strengthen health as a whole across our Region.”
Raising the profile of the Pacific
This week also marks the first time in over a decade that a country in the Pacific has hosted an annual session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific.
“I am truly grateful to the Government of Fiji, including the Ministry of Health, for its generosity and commitment to health for all,” said Dr Piukala. “Having the Regional Committee here demonstrates the increasing leadership of the Pacific in regional health matters.”
The venue also provides greater opportunity for participation from Pacific island countries and areas that shoulder disproportionate burdens of noncommunicable disease and climate change.
After the Regional Committee, a one-day meeting of Pacific health ministers will take place on Yanuca Island, Fiji, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Yanuca Island Declaration and to revitalize the Healthy Islands vision and framework, taking into account present-day realities.
“The Healthy Islands Vision 2050 builds on our collective progress, but also recognizes the current scenarios our Region faces – from the climate crisis to health workforce challenges to digital transformation and artificial intelligence,” said Dr Piukala.
The Yanuca Island meeting will complement the discussions at the Regional Committee and further strengthen actions to realize the Region’s vision for public health – Weaving Health for Families, Communities and Societies in the Western Pacific Region.
“It’s a vision that connects all 38 countries and areas in the Western Pacific at a time when multilateralism in health is more essential than ever,” Dr Piukala said.
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For more information and/or to arrange media interviews, contact: wprocom@who.int
A livestream of RCM76 proceedings from 20-24 October can be accessed at the @WHOWPRO Facebook, X, and YouTube platforms.
Note to editors:
RCM76 will run from Monday, 20 October, through Friday, 24 October, in Nadi, Fiji.
The agenda, timetable and official documents, along with videos on the issues discussed, are available online.
Working with 194 Member States across six regions, WHO is the United Nations specialized agency responsible for public health. Each WHO region has a regional committee – a governing body composed of ministers of health and senior officials from Member States. Each regional committee meets annually to agree on health actions and to chart priorities for WHO’s work.
The WHO Western Pacific Region is home to more than 2.2 billion people across 38 countries and areas: American Samoa (United States of America), Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (France), Guam (United States of America), Hong Kong SAR (China), Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Macao SAR (China), Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, New Caledonia (France), New Zealand, Niue, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (United States of America), Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Pitcairn Island (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), the Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, and Wallis and Futuna (France).