KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia saw a historic moment on the global stage after its landmark resolution on lung health was adopted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Calling this a historic achievement, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (pic) said this also marked Malaysia’s great success in global health leadership.
“The official mission to Geneva in conjunction with WHA78 was completed successfully.
“Last night (Friday) I returned to the country with a stronger spirit and a stronger determination,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.
Malaysia tabled a resolution on Promoting and Prioritising An Integrated Lung Health Approach at WHA78.
This was a comprehensive call to action to bolster global efforts in preventing, diagnosing, treating and controlling lung diseases.
WHO member states approved a resolution on lung health at the assembly after recognising the urgent need to tackle respiratory diseases and their major risk factors, including air pollution and tobacco use.
The resolution aims to strengthen national and global actions to prevent, diagnose and manage common lung conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, pneumonia and tuberculosis.
It also calls for improved access to affordable care, greater investment in clean air policies and integrated strategies linking lung health with broader efforts on non-communicable diseases and climate resilience, reaffirming global commitment to protecting respiratory health and preventing millions of avoidable premature deaths each year.
