Working Visit of YB Minister of Health of Malaysia to Geneva, Switzerland
Minister of Health of Malaysia, YB Dr. Zaliha Mustafa undertook a working visit to Geneva on 29 January – 3 February 2023. In Geneva, the Minister attended the 152nd Session of the WHO Executive Board (EB) Meeting, where she was elected as Vice Chair of the WHO Executive Board, representing the Western Pacific Region (WPR) for 2023-2024.
Generally, the Executive Board meeting discussed the agenda for the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) which will take place in Geneva in May 2023, as well as the resolutions to be considered by the Health Assembly, including Malaysia’s Resolution on Behavioural Sciences for Better Health.
During the EB Meeting, the Minister chaired and led the discussions on global efforts on poliomyelitis eradication. This was the first time in history the EB Meeting was chaired by a Malaysian Health Minister.
The Minister also had a meeting with Director General of WHO Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus to discuss various health related issues. Both sides inked the renewal of the WHO Global Service Centre (GSC) Host Country Agreement (HCA) for another 15 years. The first HCA was signed between Malaysia and the WHO in December 2007.
The GSC was established in Malaysia in 2008 to deliver support services to the Organisation and its partner entities. The Centre now provides services to all programmes and staff of WHO at all levels from al over the world. Located in Cyberjaya, the Centre now employs 327 staff, the majority of which are Malaysians.
On the margins of the Executive Board Meeting, the Minister also held meetings with various stakeholders, including a bilateral meeting with the Qatari Public Health Minister, and officials from Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).
