Khairy elected as the 75th vice-president for World Health Assembly

KUALA LUMPUR- Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has been elected as the vice-president of the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA) in 2022.

Khairy, in a tweet today, expressed his gratitude to all World Health Organisation Pacific Region member countries for unanimously nominating for the role.

He added that the voice of the West Pacific will be brought to the assembly soon.

"Thank you to all the @WHOWPRO countries for unanimously nominating Malaysia as vice-president for the World Health Assembly 2022.

"We will bring the voice of the Western Pacific to the world assembly especially on the principles of equity, solidarity and accountability," he said.

Khairy will join another four vice-presidents who will represent their respective regions to the 75th WHA that will take place from May 22 to 28 next year in Geneva, Switzerland.

Meanwhile, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said Khairy received unanimous support at the 72nd World Health Organisation’s regional committee meeting in Japan on the nomination, adding that the appointment was a great honour for Malaysia.

"Today, I gladly announce that at the West Pacific Regional Committee Meeting (WPRCM) 72nd World Health Organization (WHO) at Himeji, Japan, Minister of Health, Khairy Jamaluddin has been appointed by the countries from the West Pacific as WHA’s 75th Vice President.

"WHA consisted of 194 countries and WHO’s highest decision-maker. Malaysia was given the well-deserved recognition based on the active roles through the global health platform in WHA in 2015 and once again, on WHA’s 75th year representing all 37 countries in West Pacific regions,” he said in a statement on Facebook on Wednesday.

Dr Noor Hisham said that Malaysia is also appointed as WHO’s executive agency from 2021 until 2024.

He added that Malaysia was given due recognition for its active role on the global health platform.

Malaysia has served as the WHA's vice-president twice before in 2004 and 2016, during the tenure of former Health Ministers Tan Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek and Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam, respectively.