This week I am attending the 73rd session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for the Western Pacific (24 to 28 October 2022) convened in the Philippines and online.
I am the only representative from the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IALP) and therefore, I may be the only speech-language pathologist at this meeting. It is a great honour.
Topics discussed of specific interest to IALP/speech-language pathology include:
- Address by Director-General (Mon 24 Oct pm): 5 priorities
- Promoting health
- Providing health
- Protecting health
- Powering health
- Performing for health
- Communication for health (Tues 25 Oct pm)
- Reaching the unreached (Wed 26 Oct pm and Thurs 27 Oct am)
- Mental health (Thurs 27 Oct pm)
 |
| WHO Director General's address |
Some of the topics that were discussed repeatedly included the response of the Western Pacific to COVID-19 (low numbers of deaths compared with the rest of the world), climate change, emergencies (floods, Tonga volcano), emergency preparedness, food security.
I was pleased to hear discussion of employing the Pacific notion of Talanoa in the meetings.
