The seventy-second session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific will discuss major health issues relevant to the Region including school health, primary health care, COVID-19, tuberculosis, and traditional and complementary medicine. This story is part of a series examining how each health topic affects individuals in the Region.
COVID-19 has been the greatest public health challenge in a century. With millions of lives lost to the virus around the world, the pandemic has also had a devastating impact on societies, economies, families and health-care workers.
Gantsengel Purev, an intensive care doctor and lieutenant at the Central Military Hospital in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is one of many health workers who have borne the professional and personal toll of the pandemic.
“We are loyal to our oath, so we work day and night to save lives.
“Many patients recover and leave the hospital. What keeps me going is two words from them: Thank you.”
Tragically, Dr Purev’s own grandmother fell ill.
“When my grandmother was feeling better, she would say, ‘I’m getting better, I’ll go home soon.’ She would praise my work.
“She stayed strong until her last breath.
“During my first shift, I lost my grandmother to COVID-19. She died in my arms.
“At my last shift, three people died in an hour. We think about their families, children and grandchildren. Informing the families about what has happened is hard. My patients are no different to my grandmother and grandfather,” said Dr Purev.
In some places, health systems have been pushed beyond the “red line” where hospitals and health workers are overwhelmed.
In 2021, the Delta variant of the virus has contributed to major surges in cases in Mongolia, as well as other countries and areas in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region. Unprecedented global solidarity has led to the roll-out of vaccines across the Region. However, access is uneven and the Region still faces huge challenges. There continues to be a need to work together to ensure vaccines reach all countries and in particular priority groups – those most at risk of infection and those most vulnerable to severe illness.
Vaccines alone will not end the pandemic. Other public health and personal protective measures including mask-wearing, physical distancing, good ventilation, and cough and hand hygiene must continue.
Since January 2020, WHO has provided tailored support to Member States based on their different needs and contexts. In the Western Pacific Region, Member States are responding thanks in part to capacity developed through 15 years of the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases and Public Health Emergencies (APSED III) and recommendations from the APSED Technical Advisory Group, convened in both July 2020 and July 2021 to review the Region’s progress in response to the pandemic.
The seventy-second session of the Regional Committee in 2021 will discuss COVID-19’s current situation, future scenarios and the need to continually adjust the response based on the changing landscape, while building on the knowledge and progress gained over the past 20 months.