World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific✓

Youth voices matter. Especially when pushing back at the tobacco industry’s aggressive efforts to lure young people with a range of dangerous products, including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. At our @WHO Western Pacific 77th Regional Committee Meeting #RC77 last week, youth delegates shared why #TobaccoControl is important – and how young people can help drive change for a healthier future.

How can schools help create safer, healthier and violence-free learning environments? Join us for “Focusing on the Whole Learner: Leveraging Health-Promoting Schools for Violence-Free Learning Environments in Asia-Pacific” on 17 November from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (GMT+8) at the 2nd Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Manila. Register now by scanning the QR or via @unescobangkok #HealthPromotingSchools #EndViolence

The China International Emergency Medical Team (EMT) (Sichuan), based at West China Hospital, Sichuan University in Chengdu, has become the first Type 3 EMT in the Western Pacific Region to undergo WHO reclassification. Classified in May 2018, Sichuan was the Region’s first Type 3 EMT: the WHO category for field hospitals that provide inpatient surgical and intensive care, with specialist services including rehabilitation, maternal and child health, and infectious disease care. Since 2018 the team has deployed to support responses in China and abroad. Every WHO-classified team is peer reviewed again after five years. The review team was led by the WHO EMT Secretariat with peer reviewers from the Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) and the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) EMT. Peer review is how the EMT system maintains its high standards, ensuring safe and quality care for populations affected by emergencies around the world. Last week’s reclassification visit followed the University Social Responsibility Summit in Chengdu and its sub-forum “Capacity Building and International Collaborative Development of Global Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs)”on 22 October, where WHO, Sichuan University, West China Hospital, SCU and partners spoke on EMT development and operations, the Global Health Emergency Corps (#GHEC) and the role of universities in building and sustaining the health emergency workforce. WHO thanks the National Health Commission of China, @IHuaXi, @SCUCN and the Institute of Philanthropy, whose support for EMTs and GHEC in the Region strengthens health emergency preparedness and response and contributes to achieving health for all. #EMTeams

More than 700 million people in the world live on islands – big and small. Island communities are uniquely and disproportionately affected by the diminishing number of health workers. Whether these islands are part of an archipelago like the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, or part of smaller island groups in the Western Pacific and globally, we must proactively design responsive workforce strengthening for island health systems. #HealthWorkforce

The 2026 WHO #HealthyCities Recognition Awards showcase inspiring examples from across the Western Pacific Region — from Baguio City’s use of data to advance health equity, to Phnom Penh’s safer school zones, Madiun’s climate resilience initiatives and Samarinda’s work to prevent violence. These examples show what’s possible when cities take action across sectors and tailor solutions to local needs. Now is the time for more cities to join the Healthy Cities movement, learn from one another and adapt what works to their own contexts. Together, we can build healthier, more inclusive and resilient communities across the Region:

RT @AP_Observatory: 📖 𝗨𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 The Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (#APO) met with authors, editors and partners working on the forthcoming People’s Republic of China Health System in Transition (#HiT) review to take stock of progress and agree on next steps. The updated #China HiT brings together leading experts from Peking University (@PKU1898), the China National Health Commission and Peking Union Medical College / Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences to document the structure, reforms and future directions of China’s health system. 𝘼𝙋𝙊’𝙨 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙, 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙; 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙; 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢. The forthcoming China HiT will be the second edition of the People’s Republic of China health system review, updating the first edition published in 2015, providing an updated account of one of the region’s largest and most rapidly evolving health systems. #HealthPolicy #HealthSystems #HealthResearch #HPSR #EvidenceInPolicy #ChinaHiT #HealthSystemsInTransition

Most people recover from fever and other #flu symptoms within a week without needing medical attention. However, the flu can cause severe illness or death, especially in people at high risk: 🤰Pregnant women 👶Children aged 6 months to 5 years 👴Adults aged 65 years and older 😩Individuals with chronic medical conditions 👩‍⚕️ Health-care workers If your flu is not getting better, see your health provider as soon as you can. #KeepFluAway

RT @WHOVietnam: Celebrating a milestone for health security in Viet Nam! 🎉 Viet Nam is the first country in the Western Pacific Region to roll out training on the Strategic Toolkit for Assessing Risks Plus (STAR-Plus), helping strengthen preparedness for health emergencies, disease outbreaks and disasters. This week, WHO and the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang brought together participants from the health, animal health, environmental health, food safety, disaster management and public security sectors to a training of trainers on using the STAR-Plus tool to build multi-hazard risk profiles at national and subnational levels, including mapping of the right workforce for emergency response. Building on a successful STAR workshop pilot in Da Nang in 2025, this training will build a national pool of STAR-Plus facilitators who will further strengthen preparedness and emergency readiness. A special thank you to the Gates Foundation and the Institute of Philanthropy for their generous support, as well as colleagues from the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, WHO Indonesia and our partners from the Peter Doherty Institute in Australia for their collaboration and expertise. Together, we are helping build a safer, healthier and more resilient Viet Nam.

Four days. One Region. A shared commitment to better health. From artificial intelligence and immunization to hypertension and tobacco control, health leaders from across the Western Pacific came together this week at #RC77 to shape the future of health across the Region. Thank you to our Member States, partners and everyone – including our dedicated WHO colleagues - who made RC77 possible. See you in #Indonesia for #RC78!

Tobacco remains a leading health threat, causing an estimated 3 million deaths across the Western Pacific Region. At the seventy-seventh session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific #RC77, countries discussed the need for sustained political commitment and regulation of new and emerging products – such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches. #NoTobacco

Weaving the Future of Health - WHO Western Pacific's exhibition at the 77th session of the Regional Committee at the campus in Manila was inaugurated formally by @DrTedros and Western Pacific @RD_WPRO Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala. Step into the future of health. Onsite at #RC77, our Weaving the Future of Health exhibition reveals how key health priorities – from artificial intelligence and its impacts to immunization across the life course - will be shaped across the Western Pacific. What would it take to make #HealthForAll a reality in WHO’s most populous region?

RT @DrTedros: My thanks to #Japan’s Health Vice-Minister Yasuhiro Suzuki for 🇯🇵's continued leadership on universal health coverage, including through the UHC Knowledge Hub in Tokyo that is strengthening health-finance collaboration. We agreed on the importance of @WHO continuing to #StandWithScience to deliver #HealthForAll. My ask to the Minister was to help bring the Pandemic Agreement negotiations on Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex to a successful conclusion. #RC77

Progress towards immunization in the Western Pacific is slipping, mirroring a pattern seen in other WHO Regions. But we simply must reach every child, everywhere. Governments can close immunity gaps and bring vaccination services to those who need it most. #VaccinesWork #RC77

RT @RD_WPRO: Validation is not the finish line. It’s a milestone in an ongoing journey. Congratulations to Malaysia on its recertification for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, EMTCT. We were delighted to recognize this triumph at our 77th Western Pacific Regional Committee, happening now in Manila. Sustaining progress demands continued investment, strong health systems, community engagement and equitable, stigma-free care. Let’s celebrate this success while renewing our commitment to every mother, every child, every community. #EMTCT #RC77

RT @RD_WPRO: At the ongoing WHO Western Pacific Regional Committee in Manila, we've taken the opportunity to once again congratulate Australia. They have been certified for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem. This landmark achievement reflects the harmony of many moving parts. Sustained @ausgov political will. Strong partnerships. The leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. And, of course, the tireless work of public health teams and health workers. It is a powerful reminder that lasting public health progress requires both commitment and communities. #Trachoma #RC77

Strong partnerships are essential to WHO’s work. Thank you to all our partners for being part of #RC77! Whether championing patient voices, supporting the health workforce or addressing major health challenges such as tobacco use and cardiovascular disease, our partners brought diverse perspectives and valuable expertise to the Regional Committee. We greatly appreciate this continued engagement and collaboration as we work together to advance health across the Western Pacific Region. Interested in what our partners had to say? Read their statements on the RC77 website: 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘏𝘖, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘵.

RT @DrTedros: Met with @Malaysia's Health Minister @DrDzul to discuss the ongoing Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing annex negotiations to conclude the Pandemic Agreement; @WHO's financial reforms and the importance of the increase in assessed contributions by all Member States to ensure the Organization's sustainability and independence to #StandWithScience. #RC77