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WFSA present statements on Transforming Primary Health Care and Non-Communicable Diseases at WHO Western Pacific Regional Committee meeting.

WFSA made statements on Primary Health Care and NCDs at the 75th session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific (WPRC). Statements delivered by Erlinda Oracion, chair of the WFSA Safety and Quality Committee.

Agenda item 10: Transformative Primary Healthcare

The World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) agree that by bringing essential health services closer to the communities that need them the Primary Health Care (PHC) approach can be transformative to the health of the region.

As recognised by World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions both past and present – the most recent being this year’s Resolution on Emergency, Critical and Operative Care Action Plan – anaesthesia and surgical services are essential for resilient health care systems which can provide universal health coverage.

As physicians who care for patients along the full length of their treatment pathway anaesthesiologists play an indispensable role in managing perioperative, emergency, and critical care. Their leadership and clinical skills are crucial components of the integrated care envisioned by the PHC approach.

Quite simply, without effective anaesthesia services, UHC cannot be achieved.
Unfortunately in many parts of the Western Pacific, due to a combination of poor resourcing, a lack of trained anaesthesiologists, and a failure to integrate anaesthesia into health planning, inadequate anaesthesia services contribute to high mortality and morbidity rates. Prioritizing anaesthesia helps address health inequities by making critical care more accessible and affordable.

Anaesthesia plays a crucial role in the Western Pacific region’s Transformative PHC by supporting the delivery of safe, accessible, and equitable surgical, emergency, and critical care services.
By investing in and prioritising anaesthesia and integrating it into PHC, WPRO member states can help address gaps in surgical care, expand access to essential services in rural and underserved areas, and build a more resilient and responsive health system.

Agenda item 14.2 – Noncommunicable diseases and ageing

The World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) represents over 500,000 anaesthesiologists in 142 countries, with 24 national member societies in the Western Pacific region.  

WFSA strongly supports the NCD Action Framework and welcomes its focus on the effective diagnosis and management of NCDs. NCDs like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes frequently require surgical intervention for diagnosis, curative treatment, or palliation.  Over 80% of cancer cases will require surgery—often multiple times.

Safe, timely and effective surgery is impossible without well-trained anaesthesiologists able to ensure patient safety and successful outcomes. The framework’s goal of reducing premature mortality from NCDs can only be realized when patients have access to comprehensive surgical care supported by high-quality anaesthesia.

WFSA calls for greater attention to the development of anaesthesia services as part of broader health system strengthening to meet the increasing challenge of NCDs.

Western Pacific Region continues to face a significant health workforce shortage. An area where this deficiency is most vividly evident is in the chronic lack of trained anaesthesiologists. The WFSA’s Global Anaesthesia Workforce Survey found that 14 WHO WPRO member states had a physician anaesthesia provider density far below the recommended interim target of 5 per 100,000

This shortage impedes the region’s ability to provide essential surgical and anaesthesia services, leaving large gaps in care for NCD patients. Without targeted investment to expand and strengthen anaesthesia services, the framework’s goals will fall short, as patients will not have access to the life-saving surgical care required for managing NCDs effectively.

By investing in anaesthesia training, infrastructure, and workforce development, countries can ensure that surgical care for NCD patients is safe, accessible, and effective.

Strengthening anaesthesia is not just an option—it is a necessity for the success of the Regional Action Framework and for improving health outcomes across the Western Pacific.

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