Kathmandu  May 19-

Minister for Health and Population Bhanubhakta Dhakal has emphasized the need for resilient and responsive health systems and sustained level of in-country production of medical goods and services. “We expect a high-level cooperation and coordination from all stakeholders to make our efforts more holistic and efficient”, the minister said while attending the virtual meeting of the 73rd World Health Assembly.

Health is a major foundation for development so this epidemic has further provided the importance of and need for increased investment in health, the minister highlighted. He noted that they all are passing through a challenging time with many risks and uncertainties and the upcoming days can be further challenging for them with the increasing number of infected people.

The minister shared that Nepal has been responding to the coronavirus outbreak with high-level political commitment and mobilizing multi-sectoral mechanisms. “While Nepal is institutionalizing federalism, the ongoing efforts to respond this epidemic from the three tiers of government have been instrumental”.

Minister Dhakal added that diseases such as COVID-19 have neither boundary, nor they discriminate people based on color, class and group. “It is therefore our collective responsibility to fully secure health rights of people across the globe”. The efforts on COVID-19 response from World Health Organisation and other national and international stakeholders have been commendable, he said, adding It has further proved the historic role played by these organizations in protecting human health.

“I would like to emphasize the need for unified efforts by the member states for universal health security with timely equitable and affordable access to medical services”. The minister, on behalf of the Government of Nepal, expressed high appreciation and sincere gratitude to the frontline health workers for their untiring efforts in COVID-19 response.

He also requested the world community to further strengthen global solidarity to overcome challenges posed by this pandemic. “We expect a high-level cooperation and coordination from all stakeholders to make our efforts more holistic and efficient”.