World Health Organisation (WHO)'s Representative to the Maldives, Dr. Nazneen Anwar paid a courtesy call on First Lady Fazna Ahmed.

The call took place at the President’s Official Residence, Mulee’aage, on Tuesday.

During the meeting, First Lady Fazna and the WHO Representative Dr. Anwar discussed issues of mutual interest and spoke on future collaborations.

Speaking with Dr. Anwar, First Lady extended her gratitude to WHO for the opportunity to participate in the high-level virtual panel discussion held by the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia to commemorate World Health Day. The virtual panel was named, "We the people and our planet: healthy, resilient, sustainable".

At the meeting, First Lady spoke about the prevalence of substance abuse and mental health issues within the community. As such, She highlighted the importance of addressing these issues early on by incorporating them into the school curriculum, establishing critical support systems, and creating public awareness.

Additionally, Dr. Anwar highlighted the inter-linkages between mental health and drug abuse and expressed her interest in working alongside the First Lady in addressing these issues. She also spoke about the lingering mental health effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, including the emotional and psychological impacts of the pandemic.

The WHO Representative also commended the Maldives’ handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, stating that the administration did an excellent job of regularly communicating with the public as the pandemic unfolded.