WHO South-East Asia region member states declaration on collective response to Covid-19

RESOLUTION OF THE WHO REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR SOUTH-EAST ASIA SEA/RC73/R1 WHO SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGION MEMBER STATES’ DECLARATION ON COLLECTIVE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 The Regional Committee, Having considered the WHO South-East Asia Region Member States’ Declaration on Collective Response to COVID-19, ENDORSES the WHO South-East Asia Region Member States’ Declaration on Collective Response to COVID-19, annexed to this resolution, and REQUESTS the Regional Director to report on progress on the implementation of the Declaration to the Committee every three years until 2026. Second session, 10 September 2020 WHO South-East Asia Region Member States’ Declaration Collective Response to COVID-19 We, the Health Ministers of Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region, participating in the Seventy-third Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia, Concerned by the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical, mental and social well-being of people, on economies and societies and, in particular, by the consequences of disrupted health services, in particular non-COVID-19 essential health care and public health programmes, in Member States of the Region, Recognizing the importance of regional solidarity, and of the regional initiatives which bolster the resilience of health systems in responses to the pandemic, namely the South- East Asia Regional Flagship Priority Programmes on Universal Health Coverage and Health Emergencies, which scale up capacity in emergency risk management; the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergencies Fund (SEARHEF), which provides rapid financial resources during public health emergencies; the 2019 Delhi Declaration on Emergency Preparedness (Regional Committee resolution SEA/RC72/R1), which commits to scale up capacities in disaster risk management and emergency preparedness in the Region; and the resolution of the Seventy-third World Health Assembly on COVID-19 response (resolution WHA73.1), Hereby AGREE to the following: (a) REAFFIRM the importance of universal health coverage and primary health care as a safety net for people in accessing quality health services – both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 – emphasizing the need to prioritize investment in universal health coverage and primary health care to ensure equitable access by all people, including vulnerable populations, to all essential health services, without financial barriers, during the pandemic; (b) STRIVE to sustain essential health services and public health programmes, in particular during public health emergencies, and to use this opportunity to build back better our health systems; (c) PRIORITIZE the health of the population and saving lives by allocating adequate health budgets to sustain uninterrupted health services during and after the pandemic; (d) STRENGTHEN health information systems which capture timely reporting of outbreaks by leveraging digital technologies, and sharing information for policy decision; (e) ENSURE the occupational health, safety and well-being of health professionals and other related workers, strengthen safety of patients and people through adequate public health and social measures, and ensure access to different types of quality personal protective devices; (f) STRENGTHEN occupational and environmental safety through appropriate medical waste management systems; (g) STRENGTHEN biomedical, health policy and systems research on COVID-19, which support national policy decisions, and sharing of knowledge across SEA Region Member States; (h) CONTINUE and expand multisectoral collaboration, through a whole-of-government and society approach, to mobilize surge capacity in the society to mitigate the negative consequences of the pandemic, including effective risk communication, community engagement, and management of the infodemic; (i) STRENGTHEN regional collaboration to support SEA Region Member States, in particular strengthening capacity for preparedness, surveillance and rapid response, field epidemiology training, supply chain management of medicines and medical supplies, and regional stockpiling of essential health resources; (j) IDENTIFY gaps and strengthen core capacities as required by the International Health Regulations (2005); and (k) FULLY ENGAGE in global discussions on equitable allocation of vaccines, medicines and diagnostics. We, the Health Ministers of the Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region, welcoming and appreciating the support of the WHO Director-General and Regional Director for South-East Asia to boost regional capacities in managing public health emergencies in South-East Asia Region. Adopted on the Tenth Day of September, Two Thousand and Twenty. Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh The Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Regional Director WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia Director-General World Health Organization Royal Government of Bhutan Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Government of India Royal Thai Government Republic of Indonesia Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Republic of Maldives We, the Health Ministers of Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region, participating in the Seventy-third Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia, Concerned by the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical, mental and social well-being of people, on economies and societies and, in particular, by the consequences of disrupted health services, in particular non-COVID-19 essential health care and public health programmes, in Member States of the Region, Recognizing the importance of regional solidarity, and of the regional initiatives which bolster the resilience of health systems in responses to the pandemic, namely the South- East Asia Regional Flagship Priority Programmes on Universal Health Coverage and Health Emergencies, which scale up capacity in emergency risk management; the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergencies Fund (SEARHEF), which provides rapid financial resources during public health emergencies; the 2019 Delhi Declaration on Emergency Preparedness (Regional Committee resolution SEA/RC72/R1), which commits to scale up capacities in disaster risk management and emergency preparedness in the Region; and the resolution of the Seventy-third World Health Assembly on COVID-19 response (resolution WHA73.1), Hereby AGREE to the following: (a) REAFFIRM the importance of universal health coverage and primary health care as a safety net for people in accessing quality health services – both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 – emphasizing the need to prioritize investment in universal health coverage and primary health care to ensure equitable access by all people, including vulnerable populations, to all essential health services, without financial barriers, during the pandemic; (b) STRIVE to sustain essential health services and public health programmes, in particular during public health emergencies, and to use this opportunity to build back better our health systems; (c) PRIORITIZE the health of the population and saving lives by allocating adequate health budgets to sustain uninterrupted health services during and after the pandemic; (d) STRENGTHEN health information systems which capture timely reporting of outbreaks by leveraging digital technologies, and sharing information for policy decision; (e) ENSURE the occupational health, safety and well-being of health professionals and other related workers, strengthen safety of patients and people through adequate public health and social measures, and ensure access to different types of quality personal protective devices; (f) STRENGTHEN occupational and environmental safety through appropriate medical waste management systems; (g) STRENGTHEN biomedical, health policy and systems research on COVID-19, which support national policy decisions, and sharing of knowledge across SEA Region Member States; (h) CONTINUE and expand multisectoral collaboration, through a whole-of-government and society approach, to mobilize surge capacity in the society to mitigate the negative consequences of the pandemic, including effective risk communication, community engagement, and management of the infodemic; (i) STRENGTHEN regional collaboration to support SEA Region Member States, in particular strengthening capacity for preparedness, surveillance and rapid response, field epidemiology training, supply chain management of medicines and medical supplies, and regional stockpiling of essential health resources; (j) IDENTIFY gaps and strengthen core capacities as required by the International Health Regulations (2005); and (k) FULLY ENGAGE in global discussions on equitable allocation of vaccines, medicines and diagnostics. We, the Health Ministers of the Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region, welcoming and appreciating the support of the WHO Director-General and Regional Director for South-East Asia to boost regional capacities in managing public health emergencies in South-East Asia Region. Adopted on the Tenth Day of September, Two Thousand and Twenty. Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh The Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Regional Director WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia Director-General World Health Organization Royal Government of Bhutan Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Government of India Royal Thai Government Republic of Indonesia Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Republic of Maldives