Resolutions and Decisions of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee

The Seventy-eighth session of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee concluded with Member States deliberating on and adopting resolutions and decisions addressing key public health challenges to accelerate health for all.

The following decisions and resolutions were adopted:

1. The Colombo Declaration on Healthy Ageing through Strengthened Primary Health Care – Adopted at a ministerial roundtable, this declaration aims to promote the health and well-being of the ageing population, which is expected to double in the Region by 2050.
2. Strengthening National Health Sector and AMR Response – Member States adopted a resolution to enhance national health sector and multisectoral collaboration, ownership, and oversight of the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) response at the highest levels of government, along with other key initiatives to combat AMR.
3. Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery – A resolution was adopted to strengthen multisectoral coordination and collaboration for emergency preparedness, response, and recovery, ensuring alignment of national efforts with regional and global frameworks. Member States agreed to prioritize investments in preparedness, resilience, and timely emergency medical care through initiatives such as Emergency Medical Teams.
4. South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF 2.0) – The Regional Committee agreed on updated policies and business rules for SEARHEF 2.0 for the 2026–2027 biennium. Member States were urged to consider contributing to and advocating for resource mobilization to ensure the fund’s sustainability, including engaging partners and donors.
5. Combatting Smokeless Tobacco, Novel Nicotine Products, and Areca Nut – Member States endorsed the Regional Strategic Framework, which focuses on strengthening national legislation, regulatory frameworks, and enforcement mechanisms. This includes comprehensive bans on manufacture, sale, advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of these products. The framework emphasizes policies to restrict availability, integrate cessation and counselling services, enhance surveillance, and strengthen multisectoral coordination across health, education, finance, customs, trade, law enforcement, youth, and communication sectors to ensure coherent national implementation.
6. Health and Climate Action – Member States agreed to put health at the heart of climate action by utilizing evidence-informed tools tailored to local contexts to identify and address vulnerabilities, ensuring equitable access to quality health services, particularly for the most vulnerable populations.
7. Migrant-Sensitive Health Approaches – Member States agreed to integrate migrant-sensitive approaches, as appropriate, within Universal Health Coverage policies and health system strengthening to ensure equitable access to quality health services without financial hardship for migrants, in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
8. Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Systems – #RC78 adopted a resolution recognizing the critical role of CRVS systems in advancing universal health coverage and evidence-based governance.
9. Health Humanities in Education – Member States agreed to introduce health humanities into health professional education, training, and health service delivery.
10. Health-Promoting Schools – #RC78 adopted a resolution for the implementation of global standards and the regional roadmap on health-promoting schools in the South-East Asia Region.
11. SEAHEARTS Initiative – The Regional Committee decided to extend and expand, until 2030, the regional milestones of SEAHEARTS, an initiative aimed at reducing the cardiovascular disease burden in the Region.
12. Public health achievements: At a side event to recognize public health achievements in the Region, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Officer-In-Charge for WHO South-East Asia, Dr Catharina Boehme, felicitated Maldives for achieving Triple Elimination of mother-to-child transmission of Hepatitis B, HIV and Syphilis, the first country to achieve this feat globally.  Nepal was recognized by eliminating rubella and Timor-Leste for malaria elimination.
13. Public Health Champions Awards: Dr Boehme felicitated winners of Public Health Champions Awards – the Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) programme of Nepal for its transformative role; the LEPRA Society for its exceptional contribution in the area of Neglected Tropical Diseases and disability and Dr Satendra Singh, Director-Professor of Physiology from Delhi, or championing disability Inclusion in health systems and medical education.
14. Regional Youth Council: On the eve of the governing body meeting, the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, and WHO South-East Asia launched the Regional Youth Council, to make youth engagement in health and well-being both tangible and meaningful.

Read more: WHOSEARO

• Resolutions and Decisions of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee
• Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Community Settings
• Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025
• Maldives becomes the first country to achieve ‘triple elimination’ of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B
• Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 Country Profile: Nepal