Member nations at the 65th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland, are hoped to reach an agreement and consensus on various important public and global health issues. The assembly attended by Health Ministers and representatives from 194 member countries of the World Health Organisation, W.H.O., has been held since last Monday and ends tomorrow. This year's assembly has chosen the theme, "Towards Comprehensive Healthcare", to ensure that the whole world population receive healthcare services.
Brunei Darussalam is represented by the Minister of Health, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan and several senior officers of the Ministry of Health. Yang Berhormat, in his address, shared the commitment of the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in providing healthcare services of high quality including comprehensive healthcare services that are easily obtained by the citizens and residents of Brunei Darussalam.
Towards this goal, the Ministry of Health continuously focuses on strengthening primary healthcare to become one of the main policies of the country's healthcare system by integrating and expanding various suitable services. Brunei Darussalam's achievement in the Millennium Development Objective on Health is also the result of continuous strengthening of comprehensive healthcare policy in the country, that, among other things, has contributed to the significant reduction of the mortality rate among infants and pregnant mothers.
Yang Berhormat also highlighted on the importance of further consolidating the country's health policy. As an effort to ensure sustainability of the healthcare system, Brunei Darussalam, through the Ministry of Health, among other things, focuses on the implementation of cost-effective interventions such as gearing up preventive measures, health promotion activities and health examination programme. Apart from that, healthcare at secondary and tertiary levels that include treatment and convalescence therapy also continue to be strengthened in providing holistic healthcare services.
The Minister of Health also emphasised on the importance of the cooperative mechanism of various sectors other than the health sector, such as the non-health sectors in the government, private companies and non-government organisations. This is to further consolidate coordination, streamlining, integration and promotion of initiatives in together fulfilling health requirements as well as implementing health approaches in all policies. Brunei Darussalam will continue to make people-centred healthcare a priority.
A day before the World Health Organisation Assembly, Yang Berhormat attended the Meeting of Health Ministers of Commonwealth Countries. The meeting discussed world concerns in the 21st century toward two main burdens related to Non-Communicable Diseases and Infectious Diseases. The meeting unanimously agreed to implement the strategies and unified actions in together combatting such diseases and ensure sustainability by adhering to the basis and socio-cultural values to improve healthy lifestyle practices.