The Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare has announced that the Maldives has been given the opportunity to serve as a member of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The ministry said this role will enable the Maldives to play a greater part than ever before in shaping international health policy.
In a post shared on social media, the ministry stated that the Maldives is representing the South-East Asia constituency at the 55th Board Meeting of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, currently being held in Geneva. The ministry described the appointment as a significant honour for the country.
According to the ministry, the Maldives will use its position to promote health equity across the region, strengthen sustainable health systems, and reinforce efforts to combat HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria.
The ministry also highlighted that, while representing the South-East Asia region, the Maldives is the world's first country to have successfully eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. The achievement was officially recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) in October last year.
The Maldives has continued to achieve a number of internationally recognised milestones in the health sector.
The 55th Board Meeting in Geneva was held on 9 and 10 July. The 56th Board Meeting is scheduled to take place in October.