Bangladesh to attend Commonwealth Secretary-General’s meeting in Geneva

The 37th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (37CHMM) will take place on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva on 17 May. Bangladesh will also attend this meeting. The Director General of Health Services, Bangladesh, Dr. Namzul Hossain, will be in attendance, along with top dignitaries from the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in Geneva.

This will be Commonwealth Secretary-General Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey's first ministerial meeting since taking office on 1 April 2025. Secretary-General Botchway will join global health leaders, senior government officials from health ministries across the Commonwealth, and development partners to discuss how the Commonwealth can build momentum around investment to address shocks to health systems in its member countries, which represent 2.7 billion people. This is critical amid recent freezes and deep cuts in global Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), with vulnerable countries now at increased risk.

The Lesotho Minister of Health, Honourable Selibe Mochoboroane, will chair the meeting.Under the theme 'Investing in Health: Sustainable Financing for an Equitable Commonwealth,' ministers will develop joint responses to the shared challenge of unlocking new resources to promote health equity, while creating stronger, greener, and better-funded health systems for all Commonwealth citizens.

A timely opportunity

Reflecting on the theme, Secretary-General Botchwey stated, "We know the truth: every investment in health is an investment in people, in productivity, in prosperity, and in the kind of future we want to build.She added, "The Commonwealth has a proud history of action in health. So let us use this meeting not only to agree on policy, but to commit to action, to secure sustainable financing that protects people, not just budgets; embed climate resilience and social justice in health planning and to expand digital access without leaving anyone behind".

The roundtable sessions will address barriers to accessing climate finance for health, the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH), and sustainable financing for non-communicable Diseases. The Roadmap for Healthy Ageing in the Commonwealth, and investing in digital tools to accelerate equitable access to quality health.  

Ministers will also be updated on the delivery of mandates agreed upon at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.While in Geneva, Secretary-General Botchwey will meet with development partners, heads of international trade and finance corporations, and private sector representatives to promote investments in healthcare to deliver on the promise of health for all.

The Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Health (CACH) recommended key meeting outcomes for 37chmm earlier in March.As Chair of the ministerial meeting, the Honourable Mochoboroane is expected to address the 78th World Health Assembly on behalf of the 56 Commonwealth Health Ministers, drawing upon the discussions and outcomes of 37CHMM.