WHO Director-General's address on the Report of the Regional Director at the 78th Session of the Regional Committee for South-East Asia – 13 October 2025

Chair, Honourable Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa,

Honourable Ministers, Ambassadors and Heads of Delegation,

Officer-in-Charge Dr Catharina Boehme,

Regional Director Emeritus Dr Ponnam Khetrapal Singh,

Dear colleagues and friends,

Ayubowan.

Once again, it's an honour to be here, and I thank our gracious hosts, the Government and people of Sri Lanka, for their warm hospitality and steadfast commitment to health, and to the World Health Organization.

Thank you, Your Excellency.

I commend Member States, and the regional and country offices, for the impressive achievements outlined in the Regional Director's report, and which Dr Boehme outlined in her remarks.

I would also like to use this opportunity, Chair, for your appreciation for Catharina's work.

In every single country, there are successes to celebrate, and challenges to confront.

Across the Region, 2024 saw important gains in health security, immunization, and essential service delivery.

But beyond the statistics, what stands out is the Region's focus on equity - reaching those who are hardest to reach, and addressing the social and economic barriers that keep people from care.

The continued elimination of diseases such as lymphatic filariasis and trachoma, and the maintenance of the Region's status as free of polio and maternal and neonatal tetanus, speak to the Region's long-term political commitment.

Immunization campaigns in Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are not only saving lives now, they are investments in the future.

And the integration of mental health and psychosocial support into primary health care marks an important shift.

I am particularly encouraged by the Region's commitment to transforming health systems through primary health care, digital innovation, and sustainable financing.

More than 80% of countries in this Region now have costed digital health blueprints - the highest proportion globally.

From AI-assisted diagnostics in Thailand, to integrated digital health records in Maldives, to Sri Lanka's transformation of its civil registration and vital statistics system, you are harnessing the power of digital technologies for health.

The Region has also made notable strides in universal health coverage, aligning reforms in health financing, workforce development, and essential services.

These are not small feats. They are the foundations on which universal health coverage - and trust in health systems - are built.

And even as financing pressures grow worldwide - as Catharina said earlier - Member States in this Region have shown that strategic investment, strong governance, and community engagement can sustain progress even in difficult times.

The great challenge of our time is that health threats are becoming more complex and convergent - from the climate crisis to antimicrobial resistance, from demographic shifts to digital inequities.

In response, countries are strengthening climate-resilient health systems, developing national adaptation plans, and investing in green and sustainable health infrastructure, including climate-resilient data systems in Nepal and the new World Health House in New Delhi - a model of climate-responsive design.

I thank the Government of India for its strong support for this new home for WHO's work in the Region.

On AMR, all countries in the region are now contributing to the global data platform.

And your proactive participation in implementing the amendments to the International Health Regulations demonstrates your commitment to shared security.

The integration of traditional and complementary medicine into national systems, guided by evidence and safety standards, is a uniquely regional strength.

So too is the Region's commitment to community-driven health promotion - from healthy cities in Bangladesh and Thailand, to grassroots gender-based violence prevention in Bhutan, to youth-led mental health initiatives across countries.

These examples remind us that health is never built in ministries or boardrooms alone. It is built in communities - by people who care, who organize, and who act.

The achievements in this Region are a vital part of the global story of WHO.

They show what is possible when countries own their priorities, partners align behind them, and WHO delivers as one.

As we implement the Fourteenth General Programme of Work and its sharper focus on promoting, providing, and protecting health, this Region is already aligned with its priorities.

You are charting a path that others can follow - one that proves health is not merely the absence of disease, but the presence of opportunity, dignity, and hope.

Let us continue to work together to ensure that every woman can give birth safely; that every child can be vaccinated and nourished; that every adolescent can find support; and that every older person can live with health and purpose.

As you know, WHO has been undertaking a major restructuring this year - at headquarters and in every region, including this Region.

We began at the top, reducing the number of senior managers and directors at headquarters almost in half.

We have now reached a milestone and are ready to move forward.

I am confident that as we do, we will do so with an Organization at all levels that is sharper, more focused on its core mandate, and more able to deliver for Member States and the people we all serve - and of course, with more independence.

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Honourable Ministers, dear colleagues and friends,

I leave you with three requests.

First, I urge all Member States to engage actively in negotiations on the PABS annex to the Pandemic Agreement, and to conclude it in time for next year's World Health Assembly in May. The Pandemic Agreement will not be complete without the annex.

Second, I urge you to use every tool at your disposal to generate financing for health, and improve efficiency, as you build a more self-reliant future, free from aid dependency.

WHO stands ready to support all Member States to do that.

And third, I urge you to seize this opportunity to work with us to build a stronger, more empowered and more independent WHO, that is better able to serve all countries.

I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the Regional Office, and with all Member States as we work together to promote, provide and protect health in the South-East Asian region, and everywhere.

Bohoma Sthuthi [bo-ho-ma is-too-tee]. Thank you very much.