From 23 January to 01 February 2017, the World Heart Federation – a founding member of RHD Action – will participate in the 140th session of the Executive Board (EB), hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
 
The EB – which is held in January each year – is comprised of 34 members from all six WHO regions. These countries serve on three-year rotations, however all countries that are members of the WHO (known as Member States) participate in the discussions. During the meeting, Member States debate pressing global health issues and propose draft resolutions to tackle these problems, which are then submitted for consideration by the World Health Assembly in May.

The EB also offers RHD Action an opportunity to advocate for improvements to rheumatic heart disease (RHD) prevention and control around the world, through advocacy with government representatives and statements delivered during meeting sessions.
 
The World Heart Federation will deliver two statements with a focus on RHD. The first statement will emphasise the urgent need for improved access to reliable, high-quality formulations of benzathine penicillin G (or BPG); this statement will be made during the agenda item addressing the global shortage of essential medicines and vaccines. A second statement will highlight the importance of including actions to tackle rheumatic heart disease within the new Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health. 
 
Other items on the agenda at the Executive Board include non-communicable diseases, communicable diseases, preparedness, surveillance and response, health systems and promotion of health through the life course. The next phase in the upcoming election of the new WHO Director-General will also take place: during the meeting the number of candidates nominated for election at the World Health Assembly will be reduced from six to three.

The provisional agenda with more detailed information on the Executive Board meeting is available here. To stay updated on RHD Action’s activities at the Executive Board, please go to our website, subscribe to our mailing list RHD Beat or follow us on Twitter, where we will be posting updates as more reports are released.