SOLOMON Islands has joined others in urging member states and development partners of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to prioritize health systems as the platform through which the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 can be holistically addressed and achieved.

Minister of Health and Medical Services, Dr Kaitu’u Tautai Angikimua echoed this in his address at the 70th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland Wednesday last week.

The United Nation (UN) Sustainable Development Goal three seeks to ensure healthy lives, and to promote well-being for all at all ages.

Dr Angikimua said Solomon Islands is on track in this regard by focusing on improving its health system through a set of reforms. These include prioritizing the review of key health legislations, development of the Role Delineation Policy, embarking on structural reform and improve partnership coordination.

He said Solomon Islands supports the theme for the 70th World Health Assembly “Advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:

“Building Better Systems for Health”.

The Minister for Health told delegates that a number of health legislations in Solomon Islands are due for review to support this process. “These include the Health Service Act, Medical & Dental Practitioners Act and the Pharmacy and Poisons Act to name a few. I recently tabled and passed the Child and Family Welfare Bill in the last sitting of Parliament this year. The bill mandated the social welfare Division to protect children who may be abused, neglected or exploited,” the Health minister said.

He highlighted that work has begun in reviewing key health policies to inform the development of regulations and amendment of existing legislations.

“Investment in human resources and formal registration of health professionals besides nurses and doctors to meet certain competency standards are among our priorities to meet the challenges ahead.

“The Role Delineation Policy is the flagship of the Solomon Islands National Strategic Plan 2016 – 2020. It reaffirms the importance of Primary Health Care and sets the platform for health system reform.”

Dr Angikimua said that the Role Delineation policy reclassifies the various levels of health care facilities and defines the minimum packages of services for each facility type.

He points out that its overall goal is to achieve Universal Health Coverage by bringing basic health care services closer to 80% of the population including vulnerable groups.

“A health system requires a structure, the organizational make-up and connections that can address present challenges and moving it forward,” the health Minister said.

Dr Angikimua was speaking at the WHA attended by Health Ministers and officials from over 190 WHO member states.

He assured WHO of Solomon Islands support as it lead this prestigious organization in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in health including ensuring that regional and global systems are robust enough to support national and global efforts.

Dr Angikimua joins other member states to thank the outgoing WHO Director General, Dr. Margaret Chan, for her leadership in reforming WHO so that it can better support small member states.

“We are particularly grateful that it was during Dr Chan’s tenure saw WHO’s presence in the country upgraded to a country office status with a permanent representative and a number of dedicated technical staff. Indeed significant progresses have been made in global health as a result of her dedication and commitment.

“On the same note I would like to congratulate Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on your successful election as the new Director General of the World Health Organization,” he said.

On the same day, delegates approved the Organization’s proposed programme budget of US$ 4421.5 million for the biennium, which includes a 3 per cent (or US$ 28 million) increase in Member State assessed contributions for 2018–2019.

This approved budget sets out the Organization’s priorities in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.