By Surihe Gaomas WINDHOEK Namibia looks set to benefit from the 60th World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva, Switzerland by lear-ning how to deal with non-communicable diseases. The meeting started Monday and will end next week. Representing the country is the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Richard Kamwi. He is accompanied by Permanent Secretary, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, and five Health directors. Before his departure last Friday for Geneva, Dr Kamwi spoke to New Era about the meeting. “What we can gain is more on the prevention and control of non- communicable diseases. One of them is gout and hypertension, and we are experiencing these diseases quite frequently in Namibia. Now at this global forum, we have the chance to learn from other member states,” he said. While the main event in Geneva will deliberate on global health issues, the global challenge of HIV/Aids will also be on the agenda. Kamwi will share with the World Health Assembly the country’s recent achievements in fighting polio. “Internationally, we have received acclaim on the polio epidemic,” he added. This year, the global world health body will also be looking at the establishment of a global Malaria Day as well. Kamwi noted that besides HIV/Aids, one of the single highest diseases claiming so many lives is malaria. “In terms of morbidity, malaria is leading in terms of people becoming ill from the disease.” Also over the weekend, Commonwealth Health Ministers met on the General Committee of the World Health Organization’s Africa Regional Office (AFRO) to look at what is on the agenda. AFRO drew up the programme topics to be addressed in the global meeting this week. Kamwi will present a report on “Strengthening Active Health Ageing.” The World Health Assembly is the supreme decision-making body for the WHO. It meets once a year and is attended by delegates from all of WHO’s 192 Member States. Its main function is to determine the policies of the Organization. It also appoints the Director-General and supervises the financial policies of the Organization. This year, the Assembly will review the Proposed Programme Budget for 2006-2007. Other issues to be discussed include the revision of the International Health Regulations and a draft global immunization strategy.