Who is representing Pakistan at World Health Assembly in Geneva?

M. Waqar Bhatti

Islamabad: At a time when health ministers, policymakers, and senior government officials from around the world are attending the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, the Pakistani delegation is being led by a retired government official on the payroll of a British organization and a low-level non-medical person from the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHS, R&C), it emerged on Monday.

Officials within the Ministry of Health confirmed that, instead of the national coordinator on health, the federal secretary of health, or the director general of health, a technical advisor working for a British organization and a non-medical staff member from NHS, R&C, have reached Geneva to attend the WHA.

“Dr. Malik Muhammad Safi, former Director of General Health who is currently employed by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), along with Muhammad Naeem, a non-medical person at NHS, R&C, is representing Pakistan at the World Health Assembly,” an official in the Ministry of Health said.Powerful health official repatriated to Balochistan

According to the WHA program, major events on the first day include the election of the president and officers of the assembly, a high-level welcome and presentation of Health Leaders’ Awards, an address by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and consideration of the draft fourteenth general program of work.

Other key activities include discussions on the financing and implementation of the 2024-2025 Program Budget and the WHO investment round.

During the high-level welcome segment, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Federal Councilor of the Swiss Confederation, will address the Assembly on behalf of the host country.

Delegates will also hear from Mohamed El Ghazouani, President of Mauritania and Chairperson of the African Union, and Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee.

Video statements will be delivered by António Guterres, UN Secretary-General; H.E. Anwar bin Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia; H.E. Srettha Thavisin, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand; and H.E. Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

At the conclusion of the high-level welcome, Dr. Tedros will present the Director-General’s Award for Global Health to two distinguished scientists and professors. H.E. Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, received her award at the launch of the WHO Investment Round event on Sunday, May 26.

The Health Assembly will elect its General Committee, which will meet privately to adopt the agenda and program of work for WHA77, discuss the submission of any supplementary agenda items, and allocate agenda items to the main committees.

When approached, Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Health Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath explained that due to austerity measures, no government official was allowed to attend the World Health Assembly in Geneva. He added that Pakistan’s head of mission in Geneva would represent Pakistan at the global health summit.

When asked why a retired government official serving as a technical advisor at the Ministry of Health and a low-level government official had traveled to Geneva for the health summit, Dr. Bharath clarified that they had gone at a donor’s expense and were not representing the Government of Pakistan.