Brazzaville/Geneva, 18 January 2010 -- The 126th Session of the World Health Organization's Executive Board began its deliberations today - Monday 18 January 2010.

The Executive Board is composed of 34 individuals technically qualified in the field of health, each one designated by a Member State elected to do so by the World Health Assembly.

Issues to be discussed are:

• implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005);
• monitoring the achievements of the health-related Millennium Development Goals;
• prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases;
• strategies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol;
• tuberculosis control; and
• proposed revision of WHO guidance on psychoactive substances for international control

The African region is being represented by delegations from Burundi, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Niger, Sao Tome & Principe and Uganda. The Chair of the Executive Board is Dr Sam Zaramba, Director-General of Health Services in Uganda.

The weeklong deliberations will end on 23 January 2010.

For further information please contact

Collins Boakye-Agyemang,
Communications and Advocacy Officer
Tel: 00 47 241 39420
E-mail: boakyec [at] afro.who.int (boakyec[at]afro[dot]who[dot]int)