13–17 October 2014 Manila, Philippines
WPR/RC65/DJ/4 16 October 2014
Contents I. II. III. Programme of work Report of meetings Other meetings …………………………………………………………………... …………………………………………………………………... …………………………………………………………………... 2 3 8
Other information Venue Summit Halls C & D, 4th floor, Philippine International Convention Center. Representatives are kindly requested to collect daily their documents, messages and invitations at their designated mailboxes. The meeting will be held daily after the afternoon session at 17:45 in Summit Hall E, 4th floor, Philippine International Convention Center. Wireless Internet access is available in the Reception Hall and all meeting areas. The network name is PICC Wifi. The password can be obtained from the Enquiry Desk in the lobby, outside the Plenary Hall, 4th floor. Computers and a printer are also available in the lobby. WHO publications Publications related to the agenda of the Regional Committee are on display in the lobby. A digital catalogue is also provided. Please ensure that your ID card is displayed at all times while inside the premises. Kindly contact the WHO Administrative Services Officer, Mr Paul Carlson, should you have any concerns at +63 2 528-9608 (landline) or +63 920 963 5457 (mobile). WHO has a no-smoking policy for all WHO meetings and related functions. Likewise, smoking is prohibited in public areas in Metro Manila.
Distribution of documents Rapporteurs Meeting Internet access
Security
I. PROGRAMME OF WORK Agenda items 16 08:30–12:00 Coordination of the work of the World Health Assembly, the Executive Board and the Regional Committee Strategic budget space allocation WHA67(14): WHO's engagement with non-State actors WHA61.12: Multilingualism: implementation of action plan 17 Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction: Membership of the Policy and Coordination Committee 14:00–17:45 Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases: Membership of the Joint Coordinating Board Time and place of the sixty-sixth session of the Regional Committee Closure of the session WPR/RC65/13 WPR/RC65/12 WPR/RC65/11
Agenda items 18
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Consideration of draft resolutions Expanded Programme on Immunization: Regional Framework for Implementation of the Global Vaccine Action Plan in the Western Pacific Emergencies and Disasters WPR/RC65/Conference Paper No. 5
WPR/RC65/Conference Paper No. 6
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II. REPORT OF MEETINGS (WEDNESDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2014) Fourth meeting Chairperson: Dr Enrique T. Ona, Secretary of Health, Philippines Item 13. Expanded Programme on Immunization: Regional Framework for Implementation of the Global Vaccine Action Plan in the Western Pacific The Director, Programme Management, introduced document WPR/RC65/8, the draft Regional Framework for Implementation of the Global Vaccine Action Plan in the Western Pacific. He noted the significant progress in the control of vaccinepreventable diseases in the Region and said future efforts will be focused on building on these achievements to confront challenges that remain. He said the regional framework supports Member States in the implementation of the global plan by consolidating regional and global goals. He said the framework also will facilitate ongoing country initiatives. He invited the Regional Committee to discuss and endorse the Regional Framework for Implementation of the Global Vaccine Action Plan in the Western Pacific, which offers a wide range of strategies developed in consultation with Member States and other stakeholders. Interventions were made by representatives of the following Member States (in order): China, Viet Nam, Japan, the Federated States of Micronesia, Brunei Darussalam, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United States of America, Australia, France, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea and Vanuatu. The Team Leader, Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), thanked the Representatives for their interventions and praised Member States for their progress in combating vaccine-preventable diseases. He also thanked Member States for their support of the regional framework and said the Organization will continue to support Member States to work towards the targets. He also addressed concerns about vaccine safety and affordability. The Director, Division of Communicable Diseases, thanked Member States for their support of the regional framework. In responding to comments about new vaccines, he agreed that the criteria must be broader than cost-effectiveness. He said there must also be consideration, for example, of the sustainability of newly introduced vaccines and the capacity of a country’s health services to add vaccines to their schedule. The Organization stands ready to assist Member States in evaluating these issues, he said, noting the need to align immunization services with overall health plans and systems. He also agreed that we must not become complacent, noting that success in fighting certain diseases sometimes can render them “invisible”, making it more difficult to advocate support among policy-makers and to maintain community awareness, even though risk remains. The Regional Director for the Western Pacific thanked the GAVI Alliance for its continued support in the Region. He said EPI was one of the Organization’s most important and successful programmes and has been a main agenda item in every session of the Regional Committee during his tenure. He also cited success in combating measles and hepatitis B. The Chairperson requested the Rapporteurs to prepare a draft resolution on the Regional Framework for Implementation of the Global Vaccine Action Plan in the Western Pacific for consideration by the Regional Committee.
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Item 14.
Emergencies and disasters The Director, Programme Management, introduced the agenda item on emergencies and disasters. He indicated that as a response to the call of the World Health Assembly in May 2011 to strengthen disaster risk management for health, the Regional Office for the Western Pacific launched consultations that led to the development of a draft Western Pacific Regional Framework for Action for Disaster Risk Management for Health. He underscored the shift in emphasis in disaster management from a reactive to a proactive approach, addressing the risks related to all hazards across the disaster risk management cycle: prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Interventions were made by representatives of the following Member States (in order): the Federated States of Micronesia, China, the Republic of Korea, the United States of America, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, the Philippines, Tonga, Japan, Viet Nam, Australia, Malaysia, France, Tuvalu, Samoa and Brunei Darussalam. The Director, Division of Health Security and Emergencies, thanked Member States for sharing lessons learnt following emergencies and disasters in their own countries, and for their support for the regional framework. She noted that many countries are already implementing actions for disaster risk management for health. She agreed with representatives who highlighted the need for coordination and partnership in what must be a multisectoral approach to emergencies and disasters. She also noted the need to build emergency and disaster preparedness into health systems and link actions to initiatives in environmental health and climate change. She assured Member States that all of their concerns, including monitoring implementation of the regional framework and support for vulnerable populations, have been noted and would be considered in implementing the regional framework. The Director, Programme Management, responding to the interventions from Member States, noted that the approach to emergencies and disasters has evolved from a reactive to proactive approach, focusing on risk mitigation and preparedness. He said WHO is moving from a project approach to a programme approach, emphasizing lessons learnt from previous emergencies and disasters. He noted that many victims of emergencies and disasters want to be assured that their experiences have not been forgotten and will help inform efforts to mitigate risk and enhance preparedness. The Chairperson requested the Rapporteurs to prepare a draft resolution on the Western Pacific Regional Framework for Action for Disaster Risk Management for Health for consideration by the Regional Committee.
Consideration of draft resolutions The Chairperson invited the Regional Committee to consider the draft resolution on the Draft Proposed Programme Budget 2016–2017 (WPR/RC65/Conf. Paper No. 1). Comments were received from Australia. The Rapporteur for the English language read aloud the amendments to the draft resolution. The draft resolution was adopted as amended (WPR/RC65.R1). The Chairperson invited the Regional Committee to consider the draft resolution on the Tobacco Free Initiative (WPR/RC65/Conf. Paper No. 2). Comments were received from Australia and Brunei Darussalam. The Rapporteur for the English language read aloud the amendments to the draft resolution. The draft resolution was adopted as amended (WPR/RC65.R2).
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The Chairperson invited the Regional Committee to consider the draft resolution on Mental Health (WPR/RC65/Conf. Paper No. 3). Comments were received from Australia and Brunei Darussalam. The Rapporteur for the English language read aloud the amendments to the draft resolution. The draft resolution was adopted as amended (WPR/RC65.R3). The Chairperson invited the Regional Committee to consider the draft resolution on Antimicrobial Resistance (WPR/RC65/Conf. Paper No. 4). A comment was received from Brunei Darussalam. The Rapporteur for the English language read aloud the amendment to the draft resolution. The draft resolution was adopted as amended (WPR/RC65.R4).
Fifth meeting Vice-Chairperson: Honourable Michael Malabag, Minister for Health, Papua New Guinea Item 15. Progress reports on technical programmes (Part 1) 15.10 International Health Regulations 15.11 Food Safety: Implementing the Western Pacific Regional Food Safety Strategy 2011–2015 15.1 Malaria
15.2 TB preparation for regional operationalization of the Global TB Strategy after 2015 15.3 Dengue
The Director, Programme Management, presented document WPR/RC65/10 which summarizes progress related to implementation of technical programmes. Noting the International Health Regulations or IHR (2005), he mentioned that the Ebola outbreak emphasizes the importance of each country's capacities and responsibilities to safeguard global health security. With the Region's vulnerability to health security events, he surmised that efforts to establish the IHR core capacities by 2016 should be reinforced and maintained in the future. On food safety, the Director, Programme Management, outlined the progress of the implementation of the Western Pacific Food Safety Strategy 2011–2015 endorsed by the sixty-second session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in 2011. He noted the progress made by all Member States in the Region, with national or international food safety standards being applied in most countries. The Director, Programme Management, presented the Region's progress on malaria and artemisinin resistance. While many countries are moving towards elimination of malaria, he considered that artemisinin resistance is a significant challenge in the Greater Mekong Subregion. He said the Emergency Response to Artemisinin Resistance (ERAR) programme guides WHO's response to the challenge and also fosters collaboration. He further said that WHO has been working with new initiatives such as the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA). The Director, Programme Management, referred to the Regional Strategy to Stop Tuberculosis in the Western Pacific 2011–2015, and indicated that since its endorsement the Region has reached the related MDG targets. However, the challenges of tuberculosis control remain significant. He said that following the adoption of the Global Strategy and Targets for Tuberculosis Prevention, Care and Control after 2015 (resolution WHA67.1), regional consultations will identify country priorities.
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The Director, Programme Management, said that dengue continues to be a serious public health problem in the Region, despite efforts of many Member States. He stressed need to strengthen capacity in efficient and sustainable ways through integrated approaches, including the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases or APSED and Integrated Vector Management. Interventions were made by representatives of the following Member States (in order): China, Australia, the Philippines, the Federated States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the United States of America, Malaysia, Viet Nam, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Brunei Darussalam, France and Samoa. In responding, the Director, Division of Communicable Diseases, thanked Member States for their suggestions and for sharing their experiences. In particular, the important role of Emergency Response to Artemisinin Resistance in the Greater Mekong Subregion: Regional Framework for Action 2013–2015 and APLMA were noted. Other important issues included malaria elimination, reaching vulnerable groups, addressing the treatment gap in tuberculosis and innovative responses to multidrug-resistant TB. He also highlighted gaps and issues related to the Global Fund’s New Funding Model for some Member States. He concluded by acknowledging the major successes of Member States in addressing priority communicable diseases, but noted that significant challenges remain. The Director, Division of Health Security and Emergencies, appreciated the common understanding among Member States as to the importance of the IHR (2005). The Director confirmed the need for capacity-building to ensure preparedness to respond to potential threats, including Ebola virus disease. The Director clarified that point-of-entry capacity is included in APSED and will be discussed at the Pacific national IHR focal point meeting in November 2014. The Director responded to a concern about the weakness of IHR core capacity selfassessments, explaining the Regional Office’s focus on monitoring and evaluation (M&E), as well as the potential need for an external M&E mechanism. The Director noted that food safety has progressed in Member States, but several challenges remain. The flexibility of the current food safety strategy was noted as this will enable the strategy to guide WHO’s work after 2015. A regional progress report on food safety will be available soon and will be distributed to Member States. The Regional Director reiterated the importance of IHR (2005) and urged Member States to continue to invest during so called normal times to improve the capacity to respond in times of crisis. The Regional Director called for a review of the current regional framework on dengue and the need to consider an agenda item at the next session of the Regional Committee. On malaria, the Regional Director noted that work would continue with APLMA. In terms of artemisinin resistance, he reiterated the importance of the ERAR in improving coordination between countries. Finally, the Regional Director noted the grave situation of Papua New Guinea in relation to tuberculosis and confirmed WHO’s commitment to address this issue.
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Item 15
Progress reports on technical programmes (Part 2) 15.4 Noncommunicable diseases 15.5 Environmental health: Regional Forum on Environment and Health 15.6 Violence and injury prevention 15.7 Nutrition: Double burden of malnutrition 15.8 Universal Health Coverage 15.9 Millennium Development Goals The Director, Programme Management, continued with the second part of the progress reports on technical programmes. He cited the ongoing work between WHO and ministries of health to develop multisectoral noncommunicable disease (NCD) plans and to strengthen NCD surveillance efforts at the national level. He also highlighted the establishment of the Regional Forum on Environment and Health in South-East and East Asian Countries as an effective mechanism for promoting collaboration between health and environmental sectors and improving policy and regulatory frameworks. He noted the scaled-up efforts by WHO in the Western Pacific to engage a wide range of stakeholders on violence and injury prevention, including ministries of transport, police, justice, social development, women's affairs and health. He said consultations with the Member States have resulted in the development of a new regional action plan that focuses on road safety and prevention of child injuries and violence against women, children and youth. The Director, Programme Management, noted progress of nutrition and said an Action Plan to Reduce the Double Burden of Malnutrition in the Western Pacific 2015–2020 has been drafted. He also mentioned that consultations were held on legal responses to promote nutrition including regulations on labelling, marketing to children and obesity prevention. He also noted progress on universal health coverage (UHC) and outlined significant actions taken by Member States in the recent years, including the revision of health insurance laws and the establishment of special funds for health equity. Finally, he noted that the 2015 MDG deadline is quickly approaching. He underscored that the Region as a whole is making good progress towards achieving the health-related MDGs and said that efforts must be intensified to increase availability and access to health services to reduce health disparities. Interventions were made by representatives of the following Member States (in order): Hong Kong SAR (China), Australia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Singapore, New Zealand, Japan, Viet Nam, China, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, the Federated States of Micronesia, France, Malaysia and Cook Islands. In responding, the Director, Division of NCD and Health through the Life-Course, noted Member States’ strong efforts to combat NCDs. She cited experiences of Member States that shared innovations in organizing new infrastructure for NCD prevention and health promotion. She thanked Member States for their active participation in development of the Action Plan to Reduce the Double Burden of Malnutrition in the Western Pacific 2015-2020 and cited the importance of engaging with the agricultural sector on nutrition issues. She affirmed WHOs intention to work closely with Member States engaged in the development of a regional action plan to prevent injuries. She mentioned the Regional Office’s work
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on legislation on tobacco taxation, food labelling and salt reduction. She emphasized the importance of NCD surveillance, civil registries and cancer registries. She noted Member States’ attention to environmental health issues, including access to clean water and sanitation, climate change and national health and environment action plans. Finally, she highlighted the unfinished agenda of the Millennium Development Goals and the need to sustain actions to protect the health of women and children in the post-2015 agenda, stressing the importance of addressing poverty as a requisite for health and development. The Director, Division of Health Systems, said Member States have made significant progress towards achieving the MDGs. She noted the need to address disparities within countries across geographic areas and income groups. She said Member States recognize that work on health systems is critical to address emerging health challenges and achieving MDGs. She noted that UHC concerns not only financing but also service delivery, and highlighted the importance of institutional underpinnings to improve service delivery quality and efficiency. Finally, she noted that work towards UHC requires whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches. The Regional Director noted the support of Member States in providing expertise, with 14 experts currently seconded to WHO in the Western Pacific Region. He expressed his gratitude to Member States for their support.
III. OTHER MEETINGS Thursday, 16 October 2014
12:30–14:00
Approaches to Financing for Prevention (Summit Hall E, 4th floor)
12:30–14:00
Meeting of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Room 304)
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