Brazzaville, 16 May 2011 -- The sixty-fourth session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) opens on Monday 16 May 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, is already in Geneva with a team from the Regional Office for the 9-day meeting which ends on 24 May.

The WHA, which is WHO’s supreme decision-making body, is attended by delegates from the 193 Member States, 46 of these from the African Region.

Among issues to be discussed are pandemic influenza preparedness; sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits; implementation of the international Health Regulations (2005); the health-related Millennium Development Goals; health systems strengthening and the global immunization strategy.

Other specific health issues on the agenda are malaria, cholera, eradication of dracuncunliasis, prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, maternal, infant and young child nutrition, youth and health risks and strategies for safe management of drinking king water; and Standard/Spuriously/Falsely – labelled/Counterfeit Medical Products, small pox eradication

Also on the agenda are the future financing of WHO, the Programme budget, the medium-term strategic plan for 2008 - 2013 and the interim progress report of the working group on the election of the WHO Director-General among others.