World Health Organization Southeast Asian Region 74th Regional meeting

01 Oct 2021

The 74th World Health Organization (WHO), southeast Asian region virtual meeting was held recently from September 6th to 10th in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The keynote address was given by the WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom and the Regional Director, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh. More than 150 delegates including Health Ministers, WHO officials and representatives from NGOs participated in the meeting. The focus of the discussion was on the effect of COVID-19 in the region and build back better essential health services to achieve Universal Health Coverage and health related sustainable developmental goals.

Prof Jeyaraj D Pandian, Vice-President, World Stroke Organisation (WSOs), read a statement on 8^th September in the Non-Communicable Diseases session (NCDs). He spoke about WSOs key recommendations on Preserving the Stroke Systems of Care during the pandemic. He laid emphasis on protected code stroke, wearing of personal protective equipment’s by health care professionals and use of appropriate neuroimaging for rapid evaluation of stroke patients. He also stressed on providing intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy for ischemic stroke patients without any delay during the pandemic. WSO reinstates that stroke patients should be managed in stroke units (SUs) and modified protocols for SU care should be established and followed. We should not forget about the stroke prevention through the NCD programs. Availability of drugs to control the NCDs is crucial during the pandemic since COVID-19 patients with comorbid NCDs have a poor prognosis.

Southeast Asian region countries are going through different phases of the pandemic and the third wave could occur in the coming months. WSO reinforces the importance of preserving the stroke systems of care globally and in this region.

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