Press Releases
Health Minister at the WHO Western Pacific Regional Committee Meeting
11 October 2010
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11 Oct 2010
Minister for Health Khaw Boon Wan led a delegation of MOH and HPB officials to attend the World Health Organisation (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Committee Meeting in Putrajaya, Malaysia from 11-13 Oct.
The meeting agenda included discussions on health systems strengthening, health promotion, and public health issues such as tuberculosis, vaccine-preventable diseases and the Millennium Development Goals.
During the meeting, Minister Khaw encouraged the WHO to review the current criteria for declaring pandemics, as well as for determining its pandemic alert levels, to see if they can better reflect the different levels of virulence of pandemic viruses. He urged countries to remain prepared for future pandemics by improving risk communications and cooperation between their animal and human health sectors.
Minister Khaw also announced that Singapore would be helping the Pacific Island countries tackle their major non-communicable diseases by sponsoring and organising a training programme on health education and promotion. The one-week training programme would be conducted by the Health Promotion Board.
At the meeting, Minister Khaw will meet with his counterparts from Malaysia and other countries in the Western Pacific region, to reinforce ties. At the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Khaw will visit healthcare institutions in Malaysia, such as the Sime Darby Medical Centre, to observe their management of chronic diseases, and use of telemedicine technology.
Ministry of Health