Kathmandu, Nepal. The Director-General of World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhyanom Ghebreyesus, and WHO South- East Asia Regional Director, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, today arrived in Kathmandu on a two-day visit.
The WHO leaders, accompanied by WHO Representative to Nepal, Dr Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav, and Dr Shambu Acharya, Director of Department of Country Strategy and Support, met Minister for Health and Population Birodh Khatiwada, Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Khadka, and Rt. Honorable Chairperson of the National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, on day one of the visit.
In their meeting with Health Minister, Dr Tedros commended the Ministry of Health and Population’s efforts in ensuring that Nepal is on track to achieve WHO's global target of vaccinating 70% of the total population by mid-2022, and reiterated WHO’s commitment to support Nepal with strengthening public health emergency preparedness and response, among other flagship priority areas.
Dr Tedros lauded Nepal’s overall COVID-19 response and efforts to towards achieving Universal Health Coverage. Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh congratulated Nepal for introducing Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine
and including it in the routine immunisation program, the first country in the Region to do so.
She said the country’s efforts for strengthening essential health services, as per a resolution adopted by Member countries of the Region in 2020, was noteworthy. She also said Nepal’s commitment to address noncommunicable diseases was evident from
the endorsement of the Multisectoral Action Plan and the launch of SAFER Initiative in the country.
Dr Singh highlighted the need to accelerate efforts on a range of issues including disease elimination, reduction of maternal, neonatal and under five mortality, and advancing universal
health coverage.
The delegation then paid courtesy calls on Honorable Minister for Foreign Affairs, Narayan Khadka, and Rt. Honorable Chairperson of the National Assembly, Ganesh Prasad Timilsina.
Chairperson Timilsina felicitated Dr Tedros and Dr Singh and expressed his gratitude to WHO for its continued support to Nepal and for the fruitful collaboration demonstrated during the
series of engagement programs with parliamentarians in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Tedros commended the whole of society approach adopted by Nepal in its COVID-19 response and applauded its recognition of health as a basic human right in the constitution. The WHO delegation led by the Director-General will next call upon Rt. Honorable President, Bidya Devi Bhandari, and Rt. Honorable Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, on 22 April.
