Maldives conferred WHO Excellence in Public Health award
The Maldives became the first member state of the WHO Southeast Asia region to be verified malaria-free in 2015 and went on to eliminate lymphatic filariasis and measles during the past two years.
10 Sep 2017, 9:00 AM
The World Health Organisation has conferred an ‘Excellence in Public Health’ award to the health ministry of the Maldives in recognition of successes in disease elimination and eradication.
The Maldives became the first member state of the WHO Southeast Asia region to be verified malaria-free in 2015 and went on to eliminate lymphatic filariasis and measles during the past two years. Polio, as well as maternal and neonatal tetanus, were previously eliminated whilst leprosy is no longer a public health problem.
“Maldives is on an accelerated journey to strengthen its health system. It has been making enormous contributions to health and well-being of its people as well as the region,” Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director of the WHO Southeast Asia Region, said after handing over the award to Health Minister Abdulla Nazim at a function Thursday night.
The WHO noted that the Maldives’ expenditure on health is the highest in the region at nine percent of GDP.
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