Health Minister, Firas Al-Hawari chaired Jordan’s delegation participating in the seventy-sixth World Health Assembly, held in Geneva, Switzerland, under the theme “The WHO at 75: Saving Lives, Driving Health for All.”
“Jordan worked hand in hand with the World Health Organization in times of prosperity and emergencies, and Jordan, in solidarity with the international community, achieved great success in containing the refugee crisis on its land,” Al-Hawari said in a keynote speech, according to ministry statement issued Tuesday.
“Despite the many waves of refugees that have passed through Jordan and the accompanying severe pressure on the infrastructure of health facilities and a threat to our indicators, which we have always done a lot to improve, we have been striving in all cases with the World Health Organization to achieve health for all, vaccines were available for everyone, without exception, and access to health services was easy for all refugees, as is the case for Jordanians,” Al-Hawari added.
Al-Hawari pointed out that the burden of asylum is an international responsibility, not only the responsibility of host countries, and that meeting the requirements of adequate health care is a humanitarian duty and a regional and international security necessity, especially after the force majeure dictated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He stressed Jordan’s emphasis on the importance of maintaining international support for refugees and host countries, and that the efforts that have been made not be sacrificed, so that this does not negatively affect the health of refugees in those countries, or pose a direct threat to the stability of health systems and the lives of citizens of host countries.
Al-Hawari added, “We have all made great efforts in saving lives and seeking to achieve health coverage for all, and we must move forward and join hands to achieve these goals.”
Al-Hawari affirmed Jordan’s continuation in adopting the life-saving approach and striving to achieve health coverage for all with the aim of saving more lives and accessing optimal health care for all without exception, in order to make the desired impact on health and human life.
Al-Hawari recalled the WHO’s role in saving many lives and developing the Invest in Health concept, as the focus was on the preventive aspect, primary health care, and strengthening governance and health systems in many countries of the world.
The proceedings of the WHO Public Health Assembly this year coincide with the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization.
The agenda for the 76th meeting of the World Health Assembly, this year, centers around the WHO’s Triple Billion targets: 1 billion more people benefit from universal health coverage, 1 billion more people better protected from health emergencies, 1 billion more people enjoy better health and well-being. It is an ambitious initiative to improve the health of billions by 2023.
In the proceedings, various topics will be covered, such as reorienting health systems towards primary health care, access to medicines, infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance, dealing with emergencies, and focusing on aspects of health care such as nutrition and rehabilitation as well as health issues for women, children and adolescents among many other topics.
Source: Jordan News Agency