GENEVA -- As the 68th World Health Assembly enters its final stages, this year's event, which unites over 3,000 delegates from 194 countries, has seen important decisions being made to address a changing health environment.
One of the main topics in the limelight this year was Ebola, together with the World Health Organisation's (WHO) shortcomings when tackling the outbreak which greatly affected three West African countries as early as December 2013.
WHO head Margaret Chan's speech last Monday highlighted the scale of the crisis, while calling for important changes to be made so as to avoid similar tragedies in the future.
The reforms introduced by Chan are hoped to pave the way towards enhanced emergency responses in the future, as she reminded audiences that the Ebola threat was far from over.
These reforms have since been given the go-ahead by delegates who sanctioned multilevel changes in emergency work, the creation of an emergency programme and the setting-up of 100 million US dollar contingency fund to finance field operations during the initial 3 months of a crisis.
Despite the many flaws brought to the fore during specific discussions and briefings, many references have been made lauding China's actions during the different stages of the outbreak.
In a stakeout held immediately after her opening speech on May 18, Chan mentioned how touched she was by the speed and number of Chinese response teams sent by the government as the Ebola virus killed thousands of people in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
As well sending funds and medical supplies, some 1,200 medical workers and experts were deployed by China to conduct vital medical, social and infrastructural work which helped abate the crisis in the region.
Li Bin, who was elected as one of the 5 vice-presidents of the Assembly and who is also China's minister of national health and family planning commission stated that health teams who left for Africa had one goal: to win the battle.
"China supports Africa because the disease knows no boundaries, and is a common enemy for countries across the world," she said during a technical briefing last Tuesday.
She also added that the international community should cooperate in the post-Ebola era, and that the virus was a wake-up call to fight as one in such circumstances.
Delegates from the West African countries, while thanking all international teams, also made specific reference to China's longstanding relationship with Africa and the country's ongoing role in the region.
Liberia was declared Ebola-free on May 9 by WHO, a turning point for the country and the international community amid official figures placing the virus' death toll at over 11,000 fatalities.
Amongst the other issues discussed this year were the establishment of a global malaria strategy, polio, HIV, International Health Regulations and surgical care practices as well as WHO structural reforms and programme budget in light of a post-2015 health agenda.
The World Health Assembly, the 68th of its kind since they began in 1948, will be ended on May 26.
