The event involves health officials and experts from 28 out of 33 member nations and Western Pacific territories.
In her key-note speech as Chair of the 63rd RCM session hosted by Vietnam in 2012, Minister Tien emphasized the importance of promoting solidarity and coordination between countries at international forums and mobilizing all resources to deal with regional challenges on the way to achieving common goals.
She also spoke highly of the health achievements recorded since the previous RCM in preventing infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), eradicating polio, measles, responding to disasters, improving community health care and developing the medical system.
On Vietnam’s healthcare development strategy, Minister Tien said the health sector will focus on covering all the people healthcare insurance, reforming health financing, intensifying the management of hospitals and drug use, and preventing NCDs in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on health care by 2015.
The health sector is set to expand the local medical network and improve the quality of primary healthcare so that everyone can have access to high-quality health services, Tien stressed.
At the 64th RCM, Dr Shin Young-soo from the Republic of Korea (RoK), WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific for the 2009-2013 term was re-elected Director for the next term.
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