Book on elimination of infectious diseases in South-East Asia launched

New Delhi [India], June 6 : To mark the World Environment Day this year, a book titled 'Elimination of Infectious Diseases from the South-East Asia Region Keeping the Promise' was launched at a virtual event on Monday.
Infectious disease epidemiologist and public health expert, Professor David Heymann said that the book highlights the progress that has been made in the control of communicable diseases in the Region during the past decade.
"It provides compelling insights into how this has been done with high-level commitment, funding and maintaining the sense of urgency. It provides good news at a time when the world is faced by the devastating effects of climate change."
Edited by the Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the book is a compilation of chapters authored by public health experts and details the achievements by Member countries such as elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis, yaws, malaria, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma and moving towards a leprosy free world. These successes follow prioritization of elimination of neglected tropical diseases and others diseases on the verge of elimination, as a flagship priority in the Region, when Dr Khetrapal Singh assumed office as Regional Director in 2014.
"Countries of the South-East Asia Region have for decades been fighting communicable diseases. I know the challenges. But as this book shows, those challenges have not stopped the fight against communicable diseases nor have they stopped the strengthening of primary health care and the expansion of universal health coverage," Prof Heymann said.
On launching the book as part of World Environment Day initiative, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said, "climate change and other environmental determinants threaten to halt or even reverse the Region's hard-won gains against communicable diseases, which would in turn negatively impact inclusive and sustainable social and economic growth".
"Biodiverse and well-functioning ecosystems are vital to sustain and enhance human health. All people must have access to clean air, fresh water, and nutritional security to prevent disease and promote health, and to pursue sustainable livelihoods", the Regional Director said.
Countries of the Region are already taking measures to address the problem, in line with the 2017 Male Declaration, the Region's 2019 Framework for Action on Building Health Systems Resilience to Climate Change, and the 'One Health approach' to addressing health threats at the human, animal and environment interface, she said.
Dr Khetrapal Singh said, "in the book Keeping the Promise I highlight eight key areas of action which must define Region-wide efforts to control and eliminate communicable diseases and achieve Sustainable Development Goal targets - linking disease elimination with UHC; prioritizing multisectoral engagement; ensuring strong subnational action; ensuring rapid transmission of information; prioritizing disease surveillance; involving communities and people; maximizing access to global public goods; and recognizing the rights of affected people and communities,"
Special Envoy of the WHO Director-General for COVID-19 Colombo, Sri Lanka, Dr Palitha Abeykoon said that the book is "inspiring, highly engaging and valuable collection of major achievements in communicable diseases control in our Region, as envisioned by Dr Khetrapal at the beginning of her tenure. We all applaud her that the promises have been kept."
As the book emphasizes, it is now the responsibility of the countries and all of us to protect and sustain these victories in the coming years particularly in the light of the economic stressors that are being observed by some of our countries, he said.
Congratulating Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh for the book, Country Lead of Acceleration Sustainable Control and Elimination Of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ASCEND) Dhaka, Bangladesh, Professor Be-Nazir Ahmed said that she has been inspiring and providing directions to countries to achieve better. The book will serve as an important medical history for the South-East Asia Region.
Former Director-General of Indian Council of Medical Research, Professor N K Ganguly termed the book as a real time description of what we have done and different experiences of different countries. He stressed that rights-based approach, communication and participation of communities was important for sustainability of the progress as highlighted in the book.
Professor A P Dash, eminent scientist and infectious disease expert said, because of global warming there is a changing pattern and behaviour of vector borne diseases. We need to reorient the control programmes according to these changes. An environmental and ecological approach to health is very important to ensure good health. The eight Flagship Priorities identified by the Regional Director give a clear environmental approach to health.
The theme of this year's World Environment Day - "Only One Earth" - highlights the importance of living sustainably and in harmony with nature, calling for collective and transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore our planet. The message is aligned with the focus of this year's World Health Day - "Our Planet, Our Health".