Communicable, or infectious,  diseases have been the major cause of illness and death throughout history. Cholera, malaria, measles, pneumonia, smallpox and tuberculosis have been feared for centuries. 

In the last 100 years or so we have begun to understand the causes of these and other diseases and have been able to prevent or treat them with antibiotics, vaccinations and other tools.

Fighting communicable diseases remains a major priority for WHO and its Member States – a long-term effort leading to healthier and longer lives. Malaria cases have decreased 25% between 2002 and 2012, and deaths have fallen by 80% in the Western Pacific. 

The incidence of tuberculosis has been cut by more than half since 1990, and deaths have been slashed by 73%. The Western Pacific Region has been certified as polio-free since 2000.

Many risks remain, and diseases can and do return quickly if control efforts are not sustained. Dengue, HIV, SARS and Zika are reminders that infectious diseases will continue to emerge and re-emerge. The battle against communicable diseases is crucial to well-being, and we are fully engaged in the fight.

 

Environmental threats and modern lifestyles pose real challenges to health, safety, and physical and mental well-being. Climate change, rapid and unplanned urbanization, and unsafe roads, homes, communities, schools and workplaces all impact health. 

Additionally, easy access to and pervasive marketing of alcohol, tobacco, and calorie-rich but nutrient-poor food and drinks lead to lead to obesity. All of these factors increase vulnerability to heart attacks and strokes, diabetes, chronic respiratory ailments and other diseases. 

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now responsible for 4 out of 5 deaths in the Western Pacific Region, and depression is now the leading contributor to disability worldwide.  

We are supporting countries in scaling up whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches to mitigate the health impacts of negative behavioural, cultural, environmental and social influences. 

Health promotion, advocacy for policy and legislation, and community education and empowerment help ensure that the places in which we live, work, learn and play are healthy.

 

When the world faces complex health security threats from disease outbreaks, natural disasters and conflicts, we are there to help. In the Western Pacific, these health security threats occur regularly, often in unpredictable ways that challenge even the most advanced health systems.

Our approach to outbreaks and emergencies recently underwent historic change with the establishment of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, which added on-the-ground response capacity to the Organization’s traditional technical and standard-setting roles. 

For over a decade, the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases served as effective guidance for Member States to meet the capacity requirements mandated under the International Health Regulations. 

An updated strategy, the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases and Public Health Emergencies, continues to guide Member States in further strengthening their fundamental systems for health security, including through developing and implementing national action plans. 

Our Emergency Operations Centre WHO in the Western Pacific is at the heart of health emergency management in the Region. It connects expertise, information, stakeholders and all levels of WHO to ensure effective preparedness and a coordinated timely response in emergencies.

 

The Pacific island countries and areas are diverse in culture and language, but they share many health challenges.  

Rates of premature death from noncommunicable diseases are among the world’s highest. Communicable diseases such as hepatitis and tuberculosis continue to be a major health burden, and persistent tropical diseases such as lymphatic filariasis and yaws persist. 

Low-lying islands are vulnerable to climate change and rising sea levels. Unsafe drinking-water and inadequate sanitation can trigger outbreaks of dengue and typhoid. Natural disasters ravage communities and local economies.

The Healthy Islands vision envisions a region where “children are nurtured in body and mind, environments invite learning and leisure, people work and age with dignity, ecological balance is a source of pride and the ocean which sustains us is protected”. 

Through our Division of Pacific Technical Support, established in 2010 in Fiji, we have increased immunization, promoted healthy living in schools and communities, and strengthened health care to assist with the NCD crisis. 

Today, the health sector is also better prepared to deal with public health emergencies and the impact of climate change.

 

For 15 years, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were a driving force in addressing many issues affecting the health of people all over the world. 

Despite significant strides towards achievement of the goals, progress was uneven and further efforts were needed to eradicate fully a wide range of diseases and address a variety of persistent and emerging health issues.

In September 2015, world leaders gathered at the United Nations in New York to adopt the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While the MDGs focused on poor countries, the SDGs focus on poor people in every country. 

Health is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 SDGs, which aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure the prosperity and well-being of all. Although SDG 3 specifically targets good health and well-being, health is integral to all goals – and all goals are influenced by health.

In order to achieve the SDGs by 2030, everyone has a role to play: governments, the private  sector, civil society, organizations such as WHO, and people like you.