On May 20, the 72nd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) began its work in Geneva, the press service of the Uzbek MFA reports.

According to the permanent mission of Uzbekistan in Geneva, the Minister of Health of Uzbekistan Alisher Shadmanov was elected WHO Deputy Regional Director for Europe.

“This demonstrates the recognition by the WHO of large-scale reforms implemented under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev aimed at preserving and further improving the system of public health, creating conditions for raising a healthy generation and developing preventive medicine,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The World Health Assembly is the highest body of the WHO, in which the delegations of all member countries participate. Its main functions are to determine the directions of WHO activity, select the Director-General of the organization, approve and control the budget. The President of the Assembly and his five deputies are elected one from each WHO region and alternately preside over the plenary sessions of the WHA.

About 3,000 delegates representing more than 190 countries of the world, including about 150 health ministers, as well as leading international organizations, large corporations, international foundations and academia are taking part in the WHA session.

“It should be noted that the success of Uzbekistan in the field of healthcare is also reflected in the speech of the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the opening of the WHA. In particular, he stressed that Uzbekistan is among the few countries in the world that has achieved the complete eradication of malaria in its territory,” the MFA said.

Within the framework of the event, it is planned that the head of the Uzbek delegation will deliver a speech at the plenary session, bilateral meetings with the WHO leadership and the heads of delegations of foreign countries for a substantive discussion of priority issues of development and strengthening cooperation in the health sector will be conducted. The World Health Assembly will continue until May 28.