Her Excellency, the First Lady of Maldives, Fazna Ahmed; Her Excellency, the Hon’ble Minister of Health of the Royal Government of Bhutan, Lyonpo Dechen Wangmo; distinguished panellists, colleagues and friends,
It is my pleasure to host you today, on World Health Day, for this high-level roundtable discussion on the theme “We the people and our planet: healthy, resilient, sustainable”.
Today – like every World Health Day – we celebrate the principles on which WHO and its Member States in the South-East Asia Region and across the world continue to agree are basic to the happiness, harmonious relations and security of all peoples:
That health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
That the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being, without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.
That the health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security, and is dependent upon the fullest co-operation of individuals and States.
That the achievement of any one State in the promotion and protection of health is of value to all, and that unequal development in the promotion of health and control of disease is a common danger.
That achieving health equity within and between countries is the cornerstone of creating a healthier, more just, sustainable and health-secure world.
In the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the critical importance of each of these principles – enshrined in WHO’s founding constitution – could not be more evident.
And I thank you, dear Excellencies, partners and colleagues, for continuing to embed them in all that you do, in line with our Flagship Priorities, our “Sustain. Accelerate. Innovate” vision, the “triple billion” targets and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Such principles will continue to inform the Region’s COVID-19 response and measures to build back better to achieve universal health coverage, health security and the SDGs.
They will be central to our efforts to accelerate a healthy and green recovery, protecting our planet, our health and our future – the theme of this year’s World Health Day.
Globally, WHO estimates that more than 13 million deaths each year are due to avoidable environmental causes.
Over 90% of people across the world breathe unhealthy air, resulting in around 7 million deaths every year, including around 2.4 million in the Region.
Food systems that are unsafe, unhealthy and unsustainable cause millions of premature deaths annually, primarily from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and are a leading contributor to climate change and antimicrobial resistance – two of the greatest health risks facing humanity.
In 2020, around 1 in 4 people globally lacked safely managed drinking water in their homes, and just 50% of health care facilities in least-developed countries provided basic water services.
Amid the COVID-19 response, countries of the Region have continued to take targeted action to address environmental health hazards, drawing on the significant momentum generated by the 2017 Malé Declaration.
Seven cities in the Region are now participating in the WHO Urban Governance for Health and Well-being initiative, which aims to build national capacities to promote health and address health inequities through multisectoral action.
All countries of the Region have in place national action plans to prevent and control NCDs, including by increasing access to safe and healthy food, and by addressing household and ambient air pollution.
Access to basic sanitation in the Region is now close to 70%, while several Member States have achieved coverage of more than 90%.
In 2021, WHO launched a first-of-its-kind online advocacy toolkit on climate change and health in the Region, and also implemented a series of e-learning modules on building climate-resilient health facilities and conducting climate-resilient water safety planning, among other priorities.
As a Region, our momentum is strong, but together we must push ever harder, faster.
The decisions we make now can either “lock in” development patterns that do permanent and escalating damage to the ecological systems that sustain human health and livelihoods, or they can promote a healthier, fairer, and greener Region and world.
I look very much forward to your interventions throughout this roundtable discussion and once again wish you a Happy World Health Day.
Thank you.