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RHD Action to Participate in the WHO Regional Meetings

07 August 2017

Throughout the coming months, RHD Action will be sending representatives to the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee Meetings, which are held to determine regional health policy and to approve programmes of work for each of the 6 WHO regions.

Taking place annually from August – October, each meeting is guided by a specific agenda addressing pressing health issues in that region. 

Civil society organizations attending the meetings – such as World Heart Federation, a founding member of RHD Action – are able to submit and deliver policy statements on relevant topics. The Regional Meetings also gather important health actors and decision-makers of one Region together at a time, presenting valuable opportunities to advocate to governments to take action on rheumatic heart disease (RHD). 

On behalf of RHD Action and the wider RHD community, the World Heart Federation will be calling on countries in all regions to support the recently recommended Draft Resolution on ‘Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease’. This Resolution, due to be debated at the World Health Assembly in 2018, represents the first time that RHD has been recognized as a public health priority on the world stage. Throughout the meetings RHD Action will continue to advocate to countries to make concrete commitments to tackle RHD.

Another hot topic at the Regional Meetings this year will be the upcoming Third UN High-level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which will be held in 2018. With many countries falling behind on their NCD-related targets, UN HLM 2018 offers civil society a unique chance to put pressure on governments to take urgent action. 

You can receive more updates about RHD Action’s activities at the WHO Regional Meetings via Twitter, updates on the RHD Action website, and via our newsletter RHD Beat.
  
Why attend the Regional Meetings?
A strong presence at the Regional Committee Meetings will allow RHD Action to:

  • Have a strong advocacy presence across the meetings for RHD
  • Receive updates from key WHO country offices and other stakeholders on the progress of RHD prevention and control in the Region 
  • Make statements during Agenda Items relevant to RHD during the meetings, and influence the course of the discussions 
  • To offer our support and expertise to Member States
  • Stay up-to-date with regional health priorities

Where are the Regional Meetings held?
The locations of the meetings rotate on an annual basis, with different countries in the region taking turns to host. This year, the Regional Meetings will be held in: