64th session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean concludes in Pakistan

12 October 2017, Islamabad, Pakistan – Members of WHO’s Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean today concluded their 64th Session, endorsing a number of resolutions that will have a positive impact on the health of populations in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region.  Among the topics discussed were cancer, climate change, the health of adolescents and antimicrobial resistance. Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and estimates indicate that by 2030 the Region will have the highest increase in cancer burden among all six WHO regions. In its final resolutions, the Regional Committee endorsed a regional framework for action on cancer prevention and control to scale up guidance to Member States in support of international commitments and to guide country decision-making on policy options and priority interventions for cancer prevention and control according to national contexts.  Climate change is among the biggest global health threats of the 21st century posing serious, yet preventable, effects on human health and exacerbating morbidity and mortality, especially among vulnerable populations.  The Regional Committee endorsed a framework for action on climate change and health to guide the health sector response to climate change, in collaboration with other health-determining sectors, and build the resilience of health systems.  The health of adolescents has for too long been neglected, but is now being recognized ...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news