KATHMANDU: World Health Organization’s (WHO) South-East Asia Region has honored Nepal for controlling Hepatitis B during the 72nd Regional Committee Session at New Delhi, India.

Health ministers of six countries were felicitated for public health achievements by the Regional Committee, which is the highest decision-making and governing body of the WHO in southeast Asia Region, which is home to one-fourth of the world’s population.

Sri Lanka was recognized for eliminating measles; Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Thailand for becoming the first four countries from the region to control Hepatitis B; and Maldives for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.

The citations for Hepatitis B control were presented to Nepal’s deputy prime minister and health minister Upendra Yadav, Bhutan’s health minister Dechen Wangmo; Thailand’s deputy minister of public health Sathit Pitutecha, and additional secretary health services Bangladesh, Md Saidur Rahman.

Reducing hepatitis B prevalence to less than one percent among five-year-olds lowers chronic infections and cases of liver cancer and cirrhosis.

The award for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis went to Maldives health minister Abdulla Ameen.

“Disease eliminations have always been high on our agenda. When I talk about sustain, accelerate and innovate, ‘accelerate’ is to step up efforts to eliminate diseases like the neglected tropical diseases,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO South-East Asia.