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Message from Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen on World Mental Health Day- 10th October 2022.

09/09/2022

WHO South-East Asia Region commits to inclusive, equitable and resilient health systems
Paro, Bhutan | 9 September 2022

The Seventy-fifth Session of the Regional Committee for WHO South-East Asia concluded here today with Member countries committing to resilient health systems, accelerating multisectoral actions to address priority health issues and reenergizing comprehensive primary health services to build societies that are more inclusive, equitable and resilient against present and future emergencies.

“We are at a history-defining juncture. Over the past two and a half years, the Region and the world have witnessed immense transformative change. It is important for us not just to spend more on health, but to spend efficiently and spend equitably. Our focus must be on vulnerable populations, we must identify them and see how best we can address their needs. We cannot leave anyone behind as we seek to drive rapid and sustained progress towards universal health coverage, health security and health for all,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia.

Building on the lessons learnt from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, countries committed to strengthening emergency preparedness and build health systems that are also resilient to environment and climate change.

The annual governing body meeting of WHO in the Region, which met in person for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic after a gap of three years, adopted the Paro Declaration to address mental health through primary care and community engagement.

The Regional Committee adopted resolutions to accelerate progress against non-communicable diseases, including oral health and integrated eye care and promote social participation to strengthen primary health care in support of universal health coverage.

Recognizing that climate action is health action, the Regional Committee decided to extend the Regional Framework for Action in Building Health Systems Resilient to Climate Change (2017 – 2022) till 2027.

Member countries committed to accelerate efforts to eliminate cervical cancer and achieve end-TB targets.

The session endorsed Implementation Roadmap for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in South-East Asia 2022–2030, and two action plans -- for oral health in South-East Asia 2022–2030 and for integrated people-centered eye care in South-East Asia 2022–2030 were also endorsed.

The Regional Committee emphasized on the need to revitalize regional knowledge- and experience-sharing mechanisms aligned with national, regional and global goals for strengthening comprehensive people centered primary health services and health systems to respond to public health priorities, such as mental health, noncommunicable diseases, emergencies and pandemics, including COVID-19 and, more recently, monkeypox.

Member countries endorsed the Regional Strategy Roadmap on Health Security and Health System Resilience for Emergencies 2023-2027 to boost emergency preparedness, readiness, and response through capacity building and enhanced governance. The WHO South-East Asia Regional Roadmap for Diagnostic Preparedness, Integrated Laboratory Networking and Genomic Surveillance 2023-2027 was adopted to strengthen national laboratories for improved surveillance and generation of quality data on emerging and re-emerging public health threats.

Member countries sought support in building strong health information systems for evidence and good quality data to guide preparedness and response.

The Regional Committee reviewed progress reports on its previous resolutions and decisions on the regional action plan on health, environment and climate change; the Male Declaration for building health system resilience to climate change; strategic action plan to reduce the double burden of malnutrition; expanding the scope of the regional health emergency fund – SEARHEF – to fund preparedness; and strengthen emergency medical teams in the Region.

Progress against efforts to end preventable maternal, newborn and child mortality in the Region in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and global strategy on women’s children’s and adolescent health; challenges in polio eradication; and elimination of measles and rubella by 2023, was also reviewed by the Regional Committee.

World Health Organization Bhutan Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan

09/09/2022

Press release 1795

WHO South-East Asia Region roadmap
to strengthen emergency preparedness and response

Paro, Bhutan | 8 September 2022 - To strengthen preparedness and response capacities for public health emergencies with multidimensional impact, a regional roadmap built on the lessons learnt from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is set to be rolled out in the WHO South-East Asia Region.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the impact of health emergencies is not just limited to health. Economies and social welfare have been majorly impacted. Globally, risks from natural and man-made hazards are also likely to result in major and frequent health emergencies given the weakened systems that the pandemic would leave, and the looming threats from climate change.

“The roadmap aims to protect the vulnerable and economies from the impact of public health emergencies by strengthening national and regional health security and health system resilience,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, at the ongoing Seventy-fifth Regional Committee Session here.

The Regional Strategy Roadmap on Health Security and Health System Resilience for Emergencies 2023-2027 has been formulated after detailed consultations with Member countries and experts, and incorporates global and regional priorities and recommendations. It seeks to boost capacities to anticipate, prevent and manage health emergencies while maintaining essential health services through enhanced governance and collaboration within and across countries in the Region.

Dr Khetrapal Singh said that a Regional Health Emergency Council (RHEC) comprising of Heads of Member countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region, is being planned in line with WHO Director-General Dr Tedros’ proposal of Global Health Emergency Council. It will ensure engagement and commitment of the highest-level political leadership for preparedness and response to health emergencies in the Region to save lives and livelihood. The detailed terms of reference and operational modalities of the RHEC will be worked out in consultation with the Member States in due course.

The Region is also rolling out ‘WHO South-East Asia Regional Roadmap for Diagnostic Preparedness, Integrated Laboratory Networking and Genomic Surveillance 2023-2027’, developed to provide Member countries a range of policy options to develop sustainable strategies to improve their national laboratories and prepare their laboratory systems to improve surveillance and respond more effectively to emerging and re-emerging diseases, and other potential public health emergencies.

These roadmaps would help Member countries develop or update their National Action Plans on Health Security and strengthen whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to enable more effective public health emergency preparedness, readiness, and response.

The Regional Strategy Roadmap on Health Security and Health System Resilience for Emergencies seeks to strengthen health security systems to reduce risks, detect early, prevent, and respond to public health emergencies as well as recover from its impact. It also seeks to strengthen governance, financing and enabling functions for emergency preparedness and surge response.

Importantly, the roadmap aims at strengthening regional alert, preparedness, and response systems, through improved regional collaboration.

The roadmap is expected to assist countries prevent or mitigate the multidimensional impact of emergencies on people and providers, protect the vulnerable, while ensuring that resilient health systems are capable of rapid recovery not just to “normalcy” but to be “built back better” post-emergency.

“A robust health system with well-developed building blocks leading to service provision with universal coverage, is not only foundational for health security but also critical for fulfilling the surge in service demand, continuity of essential services during emergencies, and for the system to bounce back to normalcy rapidly following an emergency – the three key characteristics of a resilient health system,” said Dr Khetrapal Singh

World Health Organization Bhutan Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan

08/09/2022

Press release 1794

WHO South-East Asia Region to accelerate progress
for NCD prevention and control

Paro, Bhutan | 7 September 2022 - The Member countries of WHO South-East Asia Region today resolved to accelerate progress for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, including oral and eye care.

“The Region must build on the progress made in the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. Though trends are in the right direction, we need to accelerate efforts to achieve global, regional, and national goals,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region.

Noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes, account for almost two-thirds of all deaths in the WHO South-East Asian Region. Nearly half of these deaths occurred prematurely between the ages of 30 and 69 years in 2021. The meeting noted the continuing high burden of disease and death due to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, large number of untreated cases of dental caries and oral health conditions, and challenges in the provision of comprehensive eye care.

The Member countries endorsed the Implementation Roadmap for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in South-East Asia 2022–2030, and two action plans - for oral health in South-East Asia 2022–2030 and the Action Plan for integrated people-centered eye care in South-East Asia 2022–2030 during the ongoing Seventy-fifth Regional Committee Session of WHO South-East Asia.

The regional NCD Implementation Roadmap 2022–2030 provides strategic directions to accelerate the national NCD response through the primary health care and universal health coverage routes to improve access, coverage and quality of NCD prevention and control interventions for the achievement of the 2025 and 2030 NCD targets.

Oral diseases are among the most common NCDs in the South-East Asian Region, with cases of untreated dental caries, severe periodontal diseases and edentulism estimated to be more than 900 million in 2019. The South-East Asia Region has the highest oral cancer incidence and mortality rates among all WHO regions. The disease burden also shows strong inequalities with higher prevalence and severity in poor and disadvantaged populations. The Action Plan for Oral Health in South-East Asia 2022–2030 provides guidance to Member countries to develop impactful national actions to improve oral health through aligned approaches within the ambit of universal health coverage.

The Regional Action Plan for integrated people-centered eye care in South-East Asia 2022–2030 aims to provide ‘equitable access to high-quality, comprehensive eye health services to achieve universal eye health by 2030’ and accelerate progress towards achieving the global targets of refractive error and cataract surgery and two Regional targets for diabetic retinopathy and trachoma elimination.

The resolution calls for strengthening policy and legislative frameworks for this purpose, as well as advancing primary health care, universal health coverage, human resources, accountability and quality of national health information systems, and the crucial role of data and information systems at all levels to promote accountability.

“Decisive leadership and political commitment can provide the policy and legislative frameworks needed to integrate high-quality, comprehensive oral health and eye health services in primary health care to achieve the targets,” Dr Singh said.

The countries committed to accelerate progress against NCDs within the ambit of universal health coverage, adopting and implementing the guidance and tools from the Implementation Roadmap for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in South-East Asia 2022–2030.

WHO committed to provide adequate technical support to Member countries in the implementation of the three plans including strengthening of the related monitoring and evaluation systems, and collaborate with partners and all stakeholders for aligned and effective implementation of the Strategic Action Plans.

World Health Organization Bhutan Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan

06/09/2022

Press release 1793

WHO South-East Asia Region commits to universal access
to people-centered mental health care and services

Paro, Bhutan | 6 September 2022 - To promote mental health in the Region, Member countries of WHO South-East Asia Region today adopted the Paro Declaration committing to Universal Access to People-centered Mental Health Care and Services.

“There is no health without mental health. Increasing investments in mental health, including for preventive and promotive services at the primary care level, reduces treatment costs and increases productivity, employment and quality of life,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region.

The Paro Declaration was adopted at the Ministerial Roundtable on addressing mental health through primary care and community engagement on day two of the ongoing Seventy-Fifth Session of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee Session.

“The Declaration urges Member countries to develop and implement multisectoral policies across the life-course to address mental health risks and reduce treatment gaps exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that mental health services reach all those in need, close to where they live, without financial hardship,” the Regional Director said.

As part of the Declaration, Member countries agreed to develop country-specific targets to achieve universal primary care-oriented mental health services and mainstream mental health in policy planning, implementation, and evaluation.

The Paro Declaration also calls for increased funding for community-based mental health networks and continuous supply of medicines and rehabilitation, including occupational therapy for everyone who needed them, and strengthening of data gathering and reporting, implementation research and performance monitoring, to ensure context-sensitive improvement of mental health systems.

Around 1 in 7 people live with a mental health condition in the South-East Asia Region. The personal and economic distress and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have widened the gaps in addressing mental health challenges, which include scarcity of human resources, low investment, stigma, inadequate prevention and promotion programmes, paucity of data, and lack of services in primary care settings.

The Declaration calls for ensuring an effective and comprehensive response to the mental health needs by establishing evidence-based and rights-oriented community mental health networks, and systematically planning for the deinstitutionalization of care for people with severe mental disorders.

Member countries committed to prioritizing fiscal space for health and universal health coverage, secure adequate investment for mental health services at the primary and secondary level, and mobilizing required additional resources in partnership with local and international stakeholders.

Strengthening capacity of primary health care system is the foundation for provision of mental health services and progress towards UHC, the health-related Sustainable Development Goals and the targets of WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2030. Member countries committed to expanding specialized and non-specialized mental health workforce by identifying new cadres of health-care personnel who are especially trained, equipped and skilled for the delivery of mental health services at the primary care level and work as part of multidisciplinary teams within the health sector.

Community empowerment and active engagement of people with lived experience helps reduce stigma and discrimination against people with mental disorders, family members and caregivers.

Strengthening national and subnational level prevention and promotion programmes helps achieve the well-being of all by addressing su***de and self-harm, substance use, consumption of harmful digital entertainment, bullying and parenting issues. Member countries committed to lead the multisectoral mental health response by guiding and harmonizing the social, education, development and economic sectors to address determinants of mental health, such as poverty, lack of education, social isolation, emergencies and impact of climate change and set country-specific targets to achieve universal primary care-oriented mental health services.

Several Member countries in the Region have already taken action to strengthen policies, plans, laws and services to improve the mental health of populations. Replicating and scaling up successful models and innovative interventions, harnessing digital technologies and telemedicine to improve access to services and capacity-building of health-care workers, and using evidence and data for programme improvement will help make the Region withstand future mental health impacts exacerbated by humanitarian emergencies, climate change and economic downturns.

WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia has promulgated several important resolutions related to mental health. These include alcohol consumption control – policy options; noncommunicable diseases, mental health and neurological disorders; comprehensive and coordinated efforts for the management of autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities; and SEA Regional Action Plan to implement the Global Strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol.

WHO will continue to support in strengthening countries in reorienting primary care for mental health through task-sharing; capacity-building for mental health and psychosocial support during emergencies, and establishing a regional knowledge and training hub for coordinating evidence and data generation, prioritizing areas of research and facilitating exchange of experiences, based on identified needs.

World Health Organization Bhutan
World Health Organization South-East Asia Region - WHO SEARO
Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan

World Health Organization BhutanMinistry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan

03/09/2022

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲

𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆-𝗳𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗢 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗼, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟱 - 𝟵 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗵𝘂, 𝟮 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮: The South-East Asia Region of WHO is home to a quarter of the world's population. The Regional Committee meeting is the highest governing body for health in the Region. The Regional Committee meeting will be attended by Health Ministers and senior health officials of the Member States of the Region, UN Agencies, partners, donors, and civil society representatives.

The main agenda for the Ministerial Roundtable will be on mental health to strengthen collective efforts in addressing mental health issues in the South-East Asia region through primary care and community engagement.

The Regional Committee will discuss policy and technical matters such as Universal Health Coverage (UHC), noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), health emergency preparedness, Tuberculosis (TB), disease elimination and control efforts, and progress towards achieving health-related sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The convening will also discuss on selected Regional Committee resolutions on Health, Environment and Climate Change; the Male Declaration on Building Health Systems Resilience to Climate Change; reduction of the double burden of malnutrition in South East Asia; the South East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund; strengthening emergency medical teams in the region; reducing maternal, newborn, and child mortality; polio eradication; measles and rubella elimination; and enhancing health workforce education in the Region.

Her Excellency Dasho Dechen Wangmo, Bhutan's Minister of Health, said: "It is an exciting moment for the Bhutanese health fraternity to host this important regional health forum in the country as many critical health issues will be tabled and discussed. Most importantly, the thematic area for this year’s Ministerial Roundtable which is mental health is expected to yield major policy and programmatic outcomes for our region that aligns very well with the ongoing national efforts to address mental health issues, especially with the initiation of “The Pema, an apex agency for mental health ” under the benevolent and selfless patronage of Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen. Under the patronage of Her Majesty, we shall strive to champion the mental agenda”.

Dr Rui Paulo de Jesus, WHO Representative to Bhutan, said: “The Regional Committee meeting is a high-level diplomatic event, and it is my privilege to support the Bhutanese government in hosting the event. The Regional Committee is the highest governing body in the South-East Asia Region, and the decisions it takes will guide WHO offices in the region for the next year. This year’s meeting takes place as the region starts coming out of COVID-19 restrictions, and the meeting will be a good opportunity to discuss future health emergencies. The meeting will also address several key issues such as mental health, climate change, and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).”

𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙩:
Rinzi Om Dorji
WHO Bhutan
+975 17 601 802
[email protected]

Tandin Dendup
Ministry of Health
+975 77 213 665
[email protected]

Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan World Health Organization Bhutan

11/08/2022

𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗯 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗝𝗗𝗪𝗡𝗥𝗛

“𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘉𝘩𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴”

𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘋𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘰 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘮𝘰

The World Health Organization estimates that hearing loss affects 32 million children worldwide and opportunely 60% of pediatric hearing loss can be prevented through early detection and the robust implementation of public health measures, along with the timely provision of diagnosis and treatment services. In Bhutan, it is estimated that 2.2% of the population has some form of hearing disorder. Hearing impairment in children is detrimental to the optimal growth and development of a healthy child.
In keeping with the Government’s commitment to “narrow the gap” in service provision for people living with disability, the Ministry of Health embarked on a journey to address the two most common disabilities in the country, visual and hearing impairment. Today, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with our partners (UN Technology Bank, Medtronic Labs; GNResound, MEDEL and Austrian Development Agency (ADA)) is delighted to launch the earmold lab at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH). An initiative to ensure universal ear care for every Bhutanese child through the “𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺”.
Through this program, earmold impression and hearing aids services for children will now be available at the JDWNRH in addition to enhancing the capacity of our health workers for the future expansion of our services. The program is expected to enhance the early detection of preventable hearing difficulties in children 0-14 years old, and subsequently strengthen support services. As a strong advocate for Persons with disabilities, Her Excellency, Dasho Dechen Wangmo is committed to mainstreaming disability initiatives in all programs to improve access to opportunities and services for people living with disabilities. The Ministry of Health strongly encourages all intersectoral partners to support this ear and hearing care initiative that will transform the lives of Bhutanese children with hearing loss.

Earmold Lab launched at JDWNRH “Together we must envision a Bhutan where no child shall endure hearing loss due to preventable causes” Her Excellency Dasho Dechen Wangmo August 11, 2022: The World Health Organization estimates that hearing loss affects 32 million children worldwide and opportunely 60% of pediatric hearing loss can be prevented through early detection and the robust implementation of public health measures, along with the timely provision of diagnosis and treatment services. In Bhutan, it is estimated that 2.2% of the population has some form of hearing disorder. Hearing impairment in children is detrimental to the optimal growth and development of a healthy child. In keeping with the Government’s commitment to “narrow the gap” in service provision for people living with disability, the Ministry of Health embarked on a journey to address the two most common disabilities in the country, visual and hearing impairment. Today, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with our partners (UN Technology Bank, Medtronic Labs; GNResound, MEDEL and Austrian Development Agency (ADA)) is delighted to launch the earmold lab at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH). An initiative to ensure universal ear care for every Bhutanese child through the “Hear, Listen and Speak program”. Through this program, earmold impression and hearing aids services for children will now be available at the JDWNRH in addition to enhancing the capacity of our health workers for the future expansion of our services. The program is expected to enhance the early detection of preventable hearing difficulties in children 0-14 years old, and subsequently strengthen support services. As a strong advocate for Persons with disabilities, Her Excellency, Dasho Dechen Wangmo is committed to mainstreaming disability initiatives in all programs to improve access to opportunities and services for people living with disabilities. The Ministry of Health strongly encourages all intersectoral partners to support this ear and hearing care initiative that will transform the lives of Bhutanese children with hearing loss.
Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan

02/08/2022

World Health Organization Bhutan