From September 7th to 10th, 2026, Timor-Leste is hosting the 79th Session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Dili, bringing together health ministers and senior officials from Member States to set priorities and review health policies and initiatives for the region. 
The session is attended by the WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is making his first visit to Timor-Leste, and the Acting Head of the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, Nilesh Buddha.
Timor-Leste is hosting a session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia for the first time in 11 years. The Regional Committee is WHO’s decision-making body for the region and brings together its ten Member States: Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.
The opening session took place this Monday, September 7th, 2026, followed by the election of the session’s officers, the presentation of credentials, the adoption of the agenda, the presentation of the report on WHO’s work in the region, and an address by WHO’s Director-General.
One of the key events of the meeting will be the Ministerial Round Table on the theme “Health workforce: equity in specialist care”, scheduled for September 8th. Member States will examine the challenges facing the health workforce and equitable access to specialist care.
Over the course of the four days, the agenda will also cover universal health coverage and health-related Sustainable Development Goals, the elimination of diseases, priorities for intensifying the fight against tuberculosis, access to high-quality medical devices, and the resilience of healthcare facilities.
The digital transformation of healthcare systems will also be discussed, including a proposal to establish the South-East Asia Collaborative Network for Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence (SEA-DAC).
Participants will also assess regional progress across areas including maternal, neonatal, and child health; mental health; non-communicable diseases; viral hepatitis; HIV and sexually transmitted infections; measles and rubella; polio eradication; preparedness for health emergencies; and the fight against malnutrition.
The meeting will also examine budgetary and governance matters relating to WHO, as well as issues arising from the 79th World Health Assembly and the 158th and 159th sessions of the Organisation’s Executive Board.
The programme includes parallel technical sessions on sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, climate change and health, climate finance in the health sector, public health security, immunisation, and the prevention of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
The 79th Session will conclude on September 10th, 2026 with the consideration and adoption of the Regional Committee’s resolutions and decisions, followed by the closing session.