Global warming is expected to pose grave challenges to Asia Pacific region in years to come, Xinhua quoted a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official as warning today. In his final address to the Regional Committee, WHO Western Pacific Regional Director Dr Shigeru Omi said climate change would expand the range of mosquitoes that carry malaria and dengue to areas other than their natural Southeast Asia habitat. He said that some low-lying island states in the Pacific were at risk from rising ocean levels, while heat waves and droughts elsewhere were among the many factors contributing to the global food crisis. a wide-ranging valedictory address at the WHO Regional Office here to Health Ministers and senior officials from the 37 countries and regions that make up WHO's Western Pacific Region, Dr Omi, who will step down early next year after serving 10 years on the post, said significant progress had been made on a number of health fronts, including the fight against communicable diseases. He said, for instance, the number of daily deaths from tuberculosis in the Region has dropped from 1,000 to 600 as a result of a non-stop battle against the disease. Tobacco control, fight against HIV/AIDS, measles and maternal mortality are singled out by Dr. Omi as fields where impressive progress had been made.
