• This is a side event to the 77th World Health Assembly, which was co-hosted by the WHO Regional Office for Southeast Asia (SEARO) and the Government of India in Geneva on 27 May 2024.

• The main agenda of the meeting was to develop coordinated strategies to improve public health in the Southeast Asian Region.

• Some initiatives were highlighted such as:

1. Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Mission for universal health coverage for Indian citizens.

2. Digital technologies used during COVID-19, like CoWIN, are being transformed into UWIN to track immunization and create digital certificates for children.

3. BHISM cube, a medical aid cube that can be deployed during disasters and emergencies

• The meeting found a few issues which needed further strengthening. These include:

1. Cooperation and collaboration with other countries for vaccination catch-up, vaccine delivery, non-communicable diseases, etc.

2. Strengthening health system for health emergencies, post-pandemic recovery & dealing with the climate crisis, aging population and compounding mental health issues

3. Decentralization of health issues at the provincial and district levels.

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