Que. India was elected the Chair of World Health Organization’s Executive Board. What are the challenges associated with it?
Ans.: India, was earlier this year, elected the Chair of World Health Organization’s Executive Board.India would chair the 148th session of the Executive Board in January 2021 and will continue to be a member of the Executive Board till 2023.
WHO’s Executive Board comprises of 34 members elected for three-year terms. The main functions of the Board are to implement the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly and advise and facilitate its work.
The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO. The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies etc.
India has to strengthen the role of WHO that provides leadership to the world in the sphere of public health, engaging with partners for joint actions, shaping the research agenda and stimulating the dissemination of valuable knowledge. The need is to catalyze further change.
India’s successful pulse polio program is known all over the world.
India takes over at a time of pandemic and other public health issues and the challenge is to develop a vaccine and make it available to all.
At another level, India has to unearth the role of China in the emergence and spread of the pandemic.