Vietnam attends 140th session of WHO Executive Board

The meeting discussed the selection of elite candidates for the WHO General Director position in the 2017-2022 tenure.

The Executive Board approved and voted for the position, with finalists in the running to become the next director-general of the global health agency including Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, 51, of Ethiopia, Sania Nishtar, 53, of Pakistan, and David Nabarro, 67, of the UK.

The meeting also focused on issues related to preparation, supervision and reaction including response to urgent public health events such as Ebola and Zika diseases and virus and antibiotic resistance; measures to strengthen the healthcare system; and the prevention of infectious and non-infectious diseases.

According to Minister Tien, these are global health issues, which aim to enhance public health and promote sustainable development. These will be discussed and approved at the 70th World Health Assembly in May this year.

As an official member of the WHO Executive Board from May, 2016, the Vietnamese delegation made significant contributions to the meeting’s agenda.

Vietnam’s reports presented at the meeting were praised by the Board, contributing the voice of developing countries to the formulation of health policies around the globe.

The WHO Executive Board holds an important role in global health policy making as it is responsible for proposing and designing agendas for the World Health Assembly.