WHO - World Health Organization Regional Office for The Western Pacific
WHO - World Health Organization Regional Office for The Western Pacific
08/04/2023 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/03/2023 16:22
American Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau health representatives celebrate WHO’s 75th anniversary and look to the future of health in the Pacific
The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative Office for American Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau welcomed senior country representatives from the Ministries and Departments of Health of these countries to its first inter-country meeting held 10-13 July 2023 in Samoa.
Representatives from American Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau. WHO/Bluwave
Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and with a refreshed perspective on the way forward, participants expressed their appreciation for the shared space to discuss their country context, programme implementation successes and challenges. The country representatives set priorities for the remainder of 2023 and commenced planning for the 2024-2025 programme biennium and their new Country Cooperation Strategy with WHO for 2024-2028.
These countries will continue programmatic focus on noncommunicable diseases including cervical cancer, and deepen efforts on mental health, achieving universal health care, protecting against health emergencies and reaching the unreached. The country representatives emphasized that in the Pacific context, 'reaching the unreached' also refers to the challenges of responding to the needs of remote populations in their islands and archipelagos. For example, providing emergency care is challenging as travel among the islands is limited by air and sea transportation schedules. Retaining skilled health professionals also presents challenges to the health sector, which they continue to address.
Noting these priorities, Dr Kim Eva Dickson, WHO Representative, committed to WHO's ongoing support stating that, "countries will continue to benefit from the WHO Fellowship programme, which strengthens human resources for health." Since 2012, the programme has graduated nearly 150 fellows from both medical and allied undergraduate and postgraduate fields of study. Of these fellows, 4 are from American Samoa; 36 are from Cook Islands; 2 are from Niue; 114 are from Samoa; and 2 are from Tokelau.
To cap off the four-day meeting, participants also joined officials from the government of Samoa and the diplomatic corps to celebrate WHO's 75th Anniversary at a gala dinner on 13 July 2023.
WHO retirees Mrs Lucy Penn and Mrs Perelini review their WHO Memory Book at the WHO 75th Anniversary celebration - 13 July 2023. Photo courtesty of Government of Samoa
The Honourable Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa, Prime Minister of the Independent State of Samoa, gave the keynote address at the dinner. She expressed her "deepest gratitude to the WHO's Director-General, the WHO staff globally and its retirees on whose shoulders the WHO's work was carried through and continues today." The eradication of smallpox and a polio-free Western Pacific since 2000 were two of the significant achievements by countries, globally and in the Region, with support from WHO acknowledged by the Honourable Prime Minister.
In a touching moment of reflection, she took dinner guests back to 1962 when her father, the Honourable Fiamē Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu'u II, (Western) Samoa's first Prime Minister, signed the Basic Agreement with Dr I Chi Fang, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, which established formal relations between (then Western) Samoa and WHO. Celebrating the WHO's 75th Anniversary as Samoa's first female Prime Minister and thinking back on her father's signing of the Basic Agreement, she reflected that "tonight feels like a 'full-circle moment' and that Samoa and I are a key part of WHO's history."
As she wished WHO many more years of "successful global health leadership" she roused the audience to applause noting that "the world owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to you".