World Health Assembly Closes; Global Health Resolutions Adopted
Several global health resolutions were adopted by the time the 62nd World Health Assembly (WHA) closed on Friday in Geneva, Xinhua reports. The resolutions cover primary health care, prevention and control of drug-resistant tuberculosis and H1N1 (swine flu) preparedness among other health-related issues (Xinhua, 5/22).
In addition, the WHA passed the program budget for 2010 2011, Fazeela Abbasi, a Pakistan federal health ministry adviser who attended the WHA, said. According to Abbasi, the WHA also approved an action plan aimed at eliminating avoidable blindness by scaling up national eye health programs. She also said the resolution that addresses health and climate change includes a plan to expand the WHO's technical assistance to countries to help them address potential health effects of climate change. WHA delegates discussed transmission of polio in endemic countries and re-affirmed their commitment to global polio eradication, Abbasi said (The News, 5/26).
The WHA action plan is available here (WHO press release, 5/22).
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