Fiji's health minister appointed as vice chair of 67th World Health Assembly

Fiji's Minister for Health Dr. Neil Sharma has been appointed as the new vice chairperson of the 67th World Health Assembly (WHA), the Fijian government announced Wednesday.

"Advancements in health technology, health care, improved health service delivery, and Fiji's continued engagement in the international arena of medicine to provide the best possible medical care for the country has paid dividends" with the appointment of Sharma, the Ministry of Information said in a statement.

Sharma was nominated for the position of vice chairperson of the WHA and has been selected to represent the Western Pacific Regional Office.

"This position has been granted in recognition of Dr. Sharma's international standing for diligence and vision in health care," said the Ministry of Information.

"Fiji as a developing country has yet again achieved the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, in terms of addressing and reducing child mortality and improving maternal health to name a few," the Ministry of Information said, "A lot of hard work has transpired over the past five years, not only on major health reforms but also in the development of health policies, medical infrastructure, medical equipment and technology and human resource."

As part of the meetings in Geneva, Sharma chaired a session where discussions on climate change, health impacts, communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases were on the agenda.

As the decision-making body of the World Health Organization ( WHO), the WHA's main functions are to determine the policies of the WHO, appoint the director-general, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed program budget. The WHA is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland. This year, the health assembly began on May 19 and ends on May 24.