Egypt’s Health Minister Ahmed Emad addressed non-aligned movement countries during the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday.
Health issues have been receiving more attention on the international level since last year, Emad said, referring to the adoption of the new 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) at the 70th General Assembly in September 2015.
“The world is going through a precarious phase in terms of humanitarian crises, the prevalence of epidemics, and an unprecedented surge in the number of refugees. All these plights exceed the available resources to deal with it,” Emad said.
He further affirmed the importance of countries involved in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) strategy to improve the response to epidemics and emergencies.
Emad is attending the 69th session of the WHA from 23 to 28 May along with an Egyptian delegation. The summit, which is attended by 194 countries, aims to outline health policies and strategies on a high level. It is considered a real opportunity to share expertise among participating delegations and renowned health experts worldwide.
On the sidelines of the assembly, Arab health ministers voted for Egypt to head the Arab Institute for Blood Transfusion Services for another two-year term. The institute was launched by the Ministerial Arab Health Council 36 years ago.
According to WHO, only 62 countries rely on voluntary and free national blood supplies, while, in 40 other countries, patients still rely on family members or those who are paid for their donation
Only 1% of the total population in Egypt are regular donors, though the country needs at least 3% of the total population to become regular donors to cover the minimum demand for blood.
