Daily journal : 11 October 2018

8–12 October 2018 Manila, Philippines WPR/RC69/DJ/4 11 October 2018 Contents I. Programme of work …………………………………………………………………... 2 II Report of meetings …………………………………………………………………... 2 III. Other meetings …………………………………………………………………... 6 Other information Venue Conference Hall, Regional Office for the Western Pacific Distribution of documents Electronic copies of all working documents and related material are available at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific website: http://www.wpro.who.int/about/regional_committee/69/documents/en/. Representatives are kindly requested to collect other documents, messages and invitations daily at their designated mailboxes. Rapporteurs meeting The meeting will be held daily following the afternoon session at 17:15 in Room 403 (Emergency Operations Centre). Internet access Wireless Internet access is available throughout the Regional Office. The network name and password can be obtained from the WHO Enquiry Desk in the Conference Hall foyer. An Internet cafe is located along the corridor of the lower lounge near the Conference Hall. For assistance, please contact IT support staff at the Internet cafe. WHO publications Publications related to the agenda of the Regional Committee are on display in the Conference Hall lounge and in the Regional Office bookshop. A digital publications catalogue is provided on a USB digital flash drive to all representatives. Security Please ensure your ID card is displayed at all times while on WHO premises. Should you have any concerns, kindly contact the WHO Conference and Administrative Services Officer, Ms Nguyen Thi Minh Ly, at +63 2 528-9608 (landline) or +63 920-963-5457 (mobile). There is a no smoking policy on WHO premises. Likewise, smoking is prohibited in public areas in Metro Manila. Sixty-ninth session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific • 8–12 October 2018, Manila, Philippines Page 2 I. PROGRAMME OF WORK (THURSDAY, 11 OCTOBER 2018) Agenda items 09:00–12:00 12 16 Rehabilitation (continued) Progress reports on technical programmes Part 1 16.1 Health security WPR/RC69/6 WPR/RC69/10 Agenda items 14:00–17:00 16 Progress reports on technical programmes Part 2 16.2 Noncommunicable diseases 16.3 Environmental health 16.4 Communicable diseases WPR/RC69/10 Consideration of draft resolutions Harnessing e-health for improved service delivery Improving hospital planning and management Neglected tropical diseases Strengthening legal frameworks for health in the Sustainable Development Goals WPR/RC69/Conference Paper No. 1 WPR/RC69/Conference Paper No. 2 WPR/RC69/Conference Paper No. 3 WPR/RC69/Conference Paper No. 4 Please Note: Draft resolutions (also known as Conference Papers) were distributed today. Any amendments should be submitted in writing to the Enquiry Desk using specific language. The Conference Papers will be considered for adoption after the morning and afternoon coffee breaks. II. REPORT OF MEETINGS (WEDNESDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2018) Fifth meeting Vice-Chairperson: Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health, Singapore Item 14 Harnessing e-health for improved service delivery As a continuation of yesterday's session, interventions were made by the representatives of the following Member States (in order): Kiribati, Hong Kong SAR (China), Viet Nam, New Zealand, France, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Mongolia, Tuvalu, Nauru and Tonga. The Acting Director, Division of Health Systems, thanked representatives for their interventions and said that e-health initiatives would help promote patient-centred, integrated care; facilitate sharing of information and best practices among service Sixty-ninth session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific • 8–12 October 2018, Manila, Philippines Page 3 providers and Member States; and accelerate progress on universal health coverage (UHC) to make sure no one is left behind. The Adviser, Division of Health Systems, noted the broad participation of Member States in the discussion and emphasized the role e-health can play in accelerating progress on UHC. The Acting Director, Programme Management, called attention to the importance of privacy and data security guarantees to ensure public confidence in e-health initiatives in Member States. He also highlighted the utility of e-health in disease surveillance and monitoring efforts to provide health authorities with information for action, as well as for improving the quality of and access to individual care. The Regional Director thanked Member States for their kind words on his leadership and said that the 27 Member State interventions on the topic was a record for the Regional Committee. He cited the integrated screening project in the Marshall Islands to illustrate the power of e-health to document population health for early detection and management of health conditions and said that e-health would be a platform for delivering future technological innovations for health. The Director-General applauded the Region’s enthusiasm and progress on e-health, adding that a global strategy on e-health is being developed and that developments in the Region would help inform that strategy. He said Member States should look for ways to use digital technology to expand UHC and promote the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) vision of leaving no one behind. The Vice-Chairperson noted the importance of e-health efforts in the Region and requested the Rapporteurs to draft an appropriate resolution on Harnessing e-health for improved service delivery, for consideration by the Regional Committee. Item 15 Improving hospital planning and management The Acting Director, Programme Management, presented document WPR/RC69/9 and introduced the draft Regional Action Framework on Improving Hospital Planning and Management in the Western Pacific. He said the Framework emphasizes the central role of hospitals in advancing UHC. He acknowledged that the task of improving hospital performance is complicated and requires policies and actions at both the facility level and the health system level. The Acting Director, Programme Management, said that the draft Framework does not prescribe a one-size-fits-all solution, but instead offers a menu of actions across various areas of hospital reform that Member States can adapt and implement according to their health system contexts and needs. Interventions were made by the representatives of the following Member States (in order): Viet Nam, Cambodia, New Zealand, Singapore, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Kiribati, Hong Kong SAR (China), Samoa, the United States of America, Macao SAR (China), the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Japan, the Federated States of Micronesia, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Tonga, Nauru, the Marshall Islands and New Caledonia. Responding to Member State interventions, the Acting Director, Division of Health Systems, highlighted the importance of clarity, accountability and governance in efforts to improve planning and management of hospitals in the Region. He noted Member State requests for support at both the facility and system level, adding that responses will be forthcoming. Sixty-ninth session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific • 8–12 October 2018, Manila, Philippines Page 4 The Adviser, Division of Health Systems, called attention to the high level of Member State interest in hospital management and e-health, noting that the two areas of work are linked, but were not combined as a single issue because each encompasses a large body of work that is critical to advancing UHC. The Regional Director recalled his 10 years of country visits, which included hospital visits and an examination of the role of hospitals. He said that hospitals are one of the most expensive care options, adding that up to 90% of health services can be delivered at the community health centre level more efficiently and at a much lower cost. The Director-General said that decision-makers, first and foremost, must listen to patients to shape hospital services based on the needs of the community. He said that hospital networking is important to scale up best practices and that hospitals must be more than health service providers: they must be teaching centres to help address the health workforce gap in the Region. The Vice-Chairperson requested the Rapporteurs to draft an appropriate resolution on Improving hospital planning and management for consideration by the Regional Committee. Sixth meeting Vice-Chairperson: Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health, Singapore Item 11 Neglected tropical diseases Introducing document WPR/RC69/5 on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), the Acting Director, Programme Management, acknowledged the significant progress achieved in combating lymphatic filariasis, trachoma and schistosomiasis through mass drug administration campaigns. He noted, however, that success against other NTDs would require a more comprehensive response, including multisectoral interventions and strengthened surveillance. The Acting Director, Programme Management, then presented the draft Regional Action Framework for Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases in the Western Pacific, which was informed by extensive consultations with Member States, experts and partners. He noted that one or more of 15 NTDs targeted in the Framework are endemic to 28 countries and areas in the Region and that fighting these diseases goes hand in hand with efforts to achieve UHC. Interventions were made by the representatives of the following Member States (in order): Japan, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the Philippines, China, Vanuatu, Australia, the Republic of Korea, the Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, New Caledonia, Samoa, Brunei Darussalam, Kiribati, Viet Nam, the United States of America, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Malaysia, Tonga and Fiji. The Acting Director, Division of Communicable Disease, acknowledged widespread support among the representatives, thanked Member States for their commitment and congratulated them for their successes in fighting NTDs. He also acknowledged the support of donors and the generosity of the pharmaceutical industry in supporting efforts to control and eliminate NTDs. He reiterated the need for the two-pronged approach of the Regional Action Framework to address the long list of NTDs in the Region and said that WHO will work with countries, partners and donors to reduce the suffering and stigma caused by these diseases, which disproportionately affect the Region’s most vulnerable groups. Sixty-ninth session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific • 8–12 October 2018, Manila, Philippines Page 5 The Acting Director, Programme Management, said NTDs were not “neglected” by individuals, families or communities affected by them, nor by Member States in the Region. He called on Member States to share their knowledge in combating NTDs, especially with countries addressing new challenges. He also emphasized that work was needed even after elimination to strengthen surveillance to prevent the spread or re-introduction of disease, and to address disability in patients affected by NTDs. The Vice-Chairperson requested the Rapporteurs to draft an appropriate resolution on the Neglected tropical diseases for consideration of the Regional Committee. Item 13 Strengthening legal frameworks for health in the Sustainable Development Goals The Acting Director, Programme Management, introduced document WPR/RC69/7 on strengthening legal frameworks for health in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He said legal frameworks, both the instrument of law and the institutions that put them into effect, are essential to advance UHC and health in the SDGs. He noted that Member States had requested WHO technical assistance in finding ways to use law to better promote health and well-being. He said that in response to those requests the draft Western Pacific Regional Action Agenda on Strengthening Legal Frameworks for Health in the SDGs had been developed to offer clear guidance for Member States in the context of their needs and priorities. He said that the Action Agenda is not intended to be prescriptive but instead presents a range of options for countries to consider. Interventions were made by the representatives of the following Member States (in order): Malaysia, China, the Philippines, Kiribati, New Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the Republic of Korea, Japan, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, the United States of America, Australia, Vanuatu, Viet Nam and Brunei Darussalam. In response to Member State interventions, the Acting Director, Division of Health Systems, said that the focus on health law and the creation of the health law unit in the Regional Office were the result of strong Member State demand. He concurred with Member States on the need for standardized approaches for Member State consultations. He said the Action Agenda supports Member States in three areas, namely tools to help countries progress towards UHC and the SDGs, processes to support that progress, and engagement with actors, including parliamentarians, involved in health-related legislative decision-making. He said that individual topics will likely determine whether regional or country-specific approaches are the appropriate way forward in those areas. The Adviser, Division of Health Systems, added that context and evidence are the two main aspects to consider in health law development. She said that law has historically been a core tool for advancing public health, but that how it has been applied has differed based on the context. The Regional Director said that the Western Pacific Region had taken the lead globally in work on public health law, noting that Member States had consistently raised the issue during his country visits. He said that the materials developed by WHO in the Western Pacific Region will likely be used to teach health law in the future, and he emphasized that the health law initiative is at an initial stage and should be expected to develop over time, with Member State input. Sixty-ninth session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific • 8–12 October 2018, Manila, Philippines Page 6 The Vice-Chairperson requested the Rapporteurs to draft an appropriate resolution on Strengthening legal frameworks for health in the Sustainable Development Goals, for consideration by the Regional Committee. Item 12 Rehabilitation The Acting Director, Programme Management, presented WPR/RC69/6 on rehabilitation. He said that rehabilitation is key to addressing the health priorities of all people, not only those with disability, and is an essential part of universal health coverage and the continuum of care. He noted that the health and demographic changes sweeping the Western Pacific Region have increased the demand for rehabilitation services to promote health and well-being. The Acting Director, Programme Management, introduced the draft Western Pacific Regional Framework on Rehabilitation, noting that it is the first framework that draws on experience from the Region to provide a foundation for countries to develop rehabilitation within their own contexts. Interventions were made by the representatives of the following Member States (in order): the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Viet Nam, China, the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam. The Vice-Chairperson then adjourned the meeting, noting that this agenda item will continue on Thursday. III. OTHER MEETINGS Thursday, 11 October 2018 12:45–13:45 Emergency Response Exercise (Conference Hall) Friday, 12 October 2018 12:45–13:45 Let's be active: Everyone, everywhere, everyday (Conference Hall)