Minister of Health Aurelijus Veryga Participates Attends World Health Assembly
On 22-23 May, Lithuanian Minister of Health Dr. Aurelijus Veryga participated in the 70th World Health Assembly in Geneva. In his statement at the general debate, the topic of which this year was “Building Better Systems for Health in the Age of Sustainable Development”, the Minister stressed the need to assure access to medicines, the importance of training of healthcare workers and highlighted preventive measures for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) implemented in Lithuania.
On the margins of the Assembly, the Minister of Health met with high level representatives of WHO Secretariat, WHO Regional Office for Europe and its Regional Director Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Head of Secretariat Dr Vera Luisa da Costa e Silva and discussed with them matters of cooperation in the implementation of healthcare reforms. A. Veryga also took part in panel discussion organized by NCD Alliance and shared positive and negative experiences of Lithuania in reducing the main factors which cause NCDs.
On 23 May, the World Health Assembly elected new WHO Director General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, nominated by Ethiopia. For the first time WHO will be led by a representative of the African region. Dr T. Ghebreyesus is a former Ethiopian health and foreign affairs minister, as well as chairman of the board of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria. On 1 July he will replace Dr Margaret Chan who has led the WHO for two terms.
World Health Assembly is the highest decision-making body of WHO which holds its sessions every year. The main function of the World Health Assembly is to determine the policies of the Organization.
