Singapore Elected to Executive Board of The World Health Organization

26 May 2006

Singapore has been elected into the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) at the 59th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 22 to 27 May 2006. The Executive Board is the body of the WHO that gives effect to the decisions and policies of the World Health Assembly.

This is Singapore's first election as an Executive Board member in our 40 years of membership with the WHO.  Our term in the Executive Board will be for 3 years, from 2006 - 2009.

As one of 34 Executive Board members, Singapore will be better able to actively contribute to the work of the WHO and global health, especially in the areas of public health including communicable and non-communicable diseases prevention and control. 

Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts and Health, is Singapore's representative to the Executive Board. Dr Balaji, who is leading the delegation to the World Health Assembly, said, "WHO plays a key role in the promotion of health and the raising of international health standards. Singapore has always been committed to strive towards better health for all. We are therefore deeply honoured to be elected by fellow member states into the WHO Executive Board. We look forward to playing an even greater role in WHO and to cooperating with other member states to strengthen our collective efforts for the attainment of the highest possible level of health for all."

Dr Balaji will be attending the 118th WHO Executive Board meeting from 29 May to 1 June 2006 in Geneva, Switzerland. He will be accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Health.