Minister of Health, Family and Welfare Geela Ali has stressed the importance of developing comprehensive, multisectoral plans to protect against future pandemics and other public health emergencies.
The Minister made the remarks while speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Review Committee Meeting on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Security, which is being held in the Maldives.
The five-day meeting brings together member states from the WHO South-East Asia Region to discuss measures to strengthen public health security, drawing on lessons learnt from global health emergencies.
Minister Geela is participating in the meeting, which brings together senior regional health officials and experts to review progress and discuss strategies to strengthen pandemic preparedness.
The main objectives of the meeting include reviewing the implementation of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats initiative, and studies being conducted by the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) unit.
Speaking as a national leader and a member of the Pandemic Fund Board representing the WHO South-East Asia Region, Minister Geela highlighted the importance of maintaining regional solidarity, strengthening and monitoring health systems, and developing comprehensive plans to protect against future pandemics.
The Ministry of Health said hosting and actively participating in the important WHO regional review meeting would bring significant benefits to the Maldives.
Key benefits for the Maldives
Strengthening national systems: Aligning technical work with regional roadmaps for 2026–2031 will help improve the detection of respiratory diseases and strengthen national strategies. This includes updating policies related to influenza and severe respiratory illnesses, including severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI).
Enhancing international and regional cooperation: The Maldives' representation on the Pandemic Fund Board by Minister Geela is expected to help ensure that the specific vulnerabilities of small island states receive due consideration when securing international financial assistance and technical support.
Building technical capacity: Opportunities to work with international experts, including the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and relevant WHO collaborating centres, could strengthen the preparedness of the Maldivian health workforce, improve laboratory testing standards and expand clinical research networks.
The five-day meeting serves as an important platform for member states of the WHO South-East Asia Region to strengthen public health security by applying lessons learnt from global health emergencies.