Her Excellency Lyonpo (Dasho) Dechen Wangmo completes her 21-day quarantine.

Her Excellency Lyonpo (Dasho) Dechen Wangmo completes her 21-day quarantine today after returning from the 74th World Health Assembly.

Upon receiving a special invitation from the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Lyonpo travelled to Geneva on the 22nd of May 2021 to attend the highest decision making forum of the World Health Organisation as its first Bhutanese President. Lyonpo was nominated to the prestigious post by the member states of WHO's SEA Region and her candidature endorsed by the Assembly on its opening day.

During her stay in Geneva, apart from carrying out her roles as President of the Assembly, Lyonpo also met several dignitaries and discussed key issues pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 vaccines, health system strengthening, non-communicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance and neglected tropical diseases. Lyonpo also met with the heads of foreign diplomatic missions to pay courtesy calls and enhance our bilateral ties. Throughout all the meetings, Lyonpo shared Bhutan's COVID-19 success story and also reiterated on the immense vulnerabilities and challenges we continue to face.Amongst other dignitaries, Lyonpo met the Swiss Federal Minister for Health, Charge d'Affaires of the US Mission to the United Nations, and Executives of the WHO, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). Lyonpo also called on the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross to convey the greetings of Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen who is the President of the Bhutan Red Cross Society.

On 1st June, Lyonpo made a parting call on the Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, wherein key concerns and thoughts on the ongoing pandemic and vaccines equity was shared. Lyonpo expressed Bhutan's desired support from the CEPI-GAVI-WHO led COVAX facility.

While in quarantine, Lyonpo held numerous virtual meetings with the Eastern and Southern surveillance teams and other officials engaged in COVID-19 containment efforts. Lyonpo also participated in the ongoing parliament and official discussions regarding vaccine mobilization via the virtual mode.