WHO Western Pacific Regional Committee meets in Manila

The 77th World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Committee meeting took place in Manila, Philippines, from October 19 to 22. As the decision-making body for the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office, the committee held annual plenary sessions to address significant regional health issues.

Key discussion themes included the responsible use of artificial intelligence, hypertension screening and management, immunization advancement, and tobacco control strategies. The committee also reviewed planned budgets and held a ministerial roundtable to discuss regional health supply reserves and joint procurement mechanisms to enhance public health cooperation.

A delegation from the Macao Special Administrative Region, led by Deputy Director of Health Cheng Sing-yip, attended the meeting to present Macao’s achievements in primary healthcare, smart medicine, and chronic disease management. The delegation also highlighted Macao’s role through the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine, which has conducted 36 training workshops benefiting professionals from nearly 90 countries and regions.