Throughout the coming months, the World Heart Federation will be sending representatives to the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee Meetings, which are held to set regional policy and to approve budgets and programmes of work for each of the 6 WHO regions.
Meeting annually from August – October, the six meetings each have a region-specific agenda, which address pressing health issues. NGOs attending the meetings – such as the WHF – are able to submit and deliver statements on these topics. The Regional Meetings also gather important health actors and decision-makers of one Region together at a time, presenting valuable opportunities for advocacy.
A strong presence at the Regional Committee Meetings – through delegates from World Heart Federation staff and from around the world – will allow the WHF to:
- Have a strong advocacy presence across the meetings for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD)
- Receive updates from key WHO country offices and other stakeholders on the progress of CVD and RHD prevention and control in the Region
- Make statements during Agenda Items relevant to CVD,NCDs and RHD during the meetings, and influence the course of the discussions
- To offer our support and expertise to Member States
- Stay up-to-date with regional health priorities
The 6 Regional Committee Meetings will be taking place in:
- African Regional Office (AFRO) – 19-23 August 2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- South-East Asian Regional Office (SEARO) – 5-9 September 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- European Regional Office (EURO) – 12-15 September 2016, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) – 26-30 September 2016, Washington D.C., United States of America
- East Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) – 3-6 October 2016, Cairo, Egypt
- West Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) – 10-14 October 2016, Manila, Philippines
A key topic for discussion at the Regional Meetings this year will be the Sustainable Development Agenda. The World Heart Federation will stress the importance of tackling CVDs and NCDs as Member States work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, set in September 2015 by the UN General Assembly. We will also be urging Member States to fast-track national action on tackling NCDs ahead of the Third UN High-level Meeting on NCDs taking place in 2018.
The World Heart Federation will also make statements on refugee and migrant health and on maternal and child mortality, and will highlight the importance of robust policies and interventions to combat rheumatic heart disease.
You can stay up to date with all WHF activity at this year’s WHO Regional Meetings via Twitter, updates on the WHF website, and via our Members’ News. You can also read updates on our work on rheumatic heart disease on the RHD Action Website.
