Best days for public health are ahead of us says WHO DirectorGeneralWord文档下载推荐.docx
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Director-GeneraloftheWorldHealthOrganization
AddresstotheSixty-fifthWorldHealthAssembly
Geneva,Switzerland
21May2012
MadamPresident,excellencies,honourableministers,distinguisheddelegates,ladiesandgentlemen,
ThisisthesixthtimeIhaveaddressedtheHealthAssemblyinmycapacityasDirector-General.Istillgetnervous.ButIdohavesomeimportantmessagestoconvey.
Inpublichealth,decadessometimesacquirelabels.The1970swereadecadeofhope,culminatingintheHealthforAllmovementunderDrMahler’sleadership.
Thathopewasquicklyfollowedbyanoilcrisis,adebtcrisis,aneconomicrecession,andtheimpositionofstructuraladjustmentprogrammes,whichforcedgovernmentstocutbudgetsforsocialservices,includinghealth.
The1980sbecameknownasthe“lostdecadefordevelopment”.Afteralongspanofsteadyprogress,largepartsofthedevelopingworldslidbackintodeeperpoverty.Healthservices,starvedoffunds,begantocrumble.
Thatdamagewasinheritedbythenextdecade.Withfewexceptions,progressinpublichealthwasslowduringthe1990s,withhealthviewedasanexpenditureratherthananinvestment.
Thefirstdecadeofthe21stcenturyhasalsoacquiredalabel.Manydescribeitasthe“goldenageforhealthdevelopment”.Andrightlyso.
Forthefirsttime,healthmovedtothetopofthedevelopmentagenda,thankstotheworkofDrBrundtland,includingthereportshecommissionedonmacroeconomicsandhealth.
Atthestartofthedecade,theMillenniumDevelopmentGoalsshowedhowmuchtheperceptionofhealthhadchanged,fromadrainonresourcestoadriverofsocioeconomicprogress.
Inthatgoldendecade,governments,inbothdonorandrecipientcountries,madethehealthagendaatoppriority.Moneyforhealthdevelopmentmorethantripled.Substantialresultsfollowed,withaparticularlystrongimpactondeathsfromHIV/AIDS,tuberculosis,malaria,andchildhoodillness.
TheMillenniumDevelopmentGoalsunleashedthebestinhumaningenuityandcreativity,leavingalegacyofinnovations.Thelistislong.Itincludesnewvaccines,medicines,anddiagnostics,newwaysofstimulatingR&
Dfordiseasesofthepoor,andnewwaysoffinancinghealthdevelopment,likeGAVI,theGlobalFund,andUNITAID.
Thedecadeisover,andsomeobserverswilltellyouthatthegoldenageforhealthdevelopmenthasalsocometoanend.
Bitterobserverssaywhatmanysuspectmaybetrue.Afinancialcrisisderailedthebestchanceevertoalleviatepovertyandgivethislopsidedworldgreaterfairnessandbalance.
Istronglydisagree.Ibelievethebestdaysforhealthareaheadofus,notbehindus.
Itistruethatmoneyistightandthefutureoftheworldeconomicsituationlooksuncertain.Healthofficials,developmentpartners,andWHOarewatchingmoneyclosely.Moneyisimportant,butmanyotherfactorsdriveprogressinpublichealth.
Duringmyrecentvisitstocountries,Ihaveseeninspiringexamplesofsuccess.Strikingachievementswithincountriesmakemeoptimistic.
Theunprecedentedmomentumforbetterhealththatmarkedthestartofthiscenturycontinues,thoughonadifferentfooting,sometimesonanevensurerfooting.
Ladiesandgentlemen,
Timeandtimeagain,weseetheimportanceofnationalownershipandleadership.Indiawouldneverhavebeenabletodramaticallychangetheprospectsforpolioeradicationwithoutfullgovernmentownershipoftheprogramme.
ThegovernmentofIndiadeservesourcongratulationsforthismonumentalachievement.
Ghana’scommitmenttoguineawormeradicationshrunkthemaptoitslastoutpost,inSouthSudan.Duringthefirstquarterof2012,casesofthisdiseasedropped67%comparedwithlastyear,andnownumberjustover100.
IvisitedNamibiainApril.Thatcountry’sministerofhealth,anexpertinvectorcontrol,isleadingagroupof8neighbouringAfricancountriesinajointefforttoeliminatemalariawithinthenextfewyears.WHOhasproducedacompletesetoftechnicalmanuals,fortesting,treating,andtracking,toguidethemontheirway.
Thesecountriesareambitious.Theyaredetermined.Theireyesarewideopentothechallenge,butthechancesofsuccessaregood.
Lastmonth,IalsovisitedOman,whereIlearnedabouttheoutcomeofanEU/WHOinitiativetobuildthecountry’scapacitytorespondtooutbreaksandnaturaldisasters.Thisisasplendidexampleofawhole-of-governmentapproach,withmorethan30governmentsectorsanddepartmentsworkingtogethertobuildresilience.
Initsfighttowrapadeadlyproductinaplainpackage,Australialeadsresistancetothetobaccoindustry’slatestonslaughtofaggressivetactics.Nogovernmentseekingtointroducemeasuresthatprotectthehealthofitscitizensshouldbeintimidatedbyanindustry,especiallybyonewiththereputationofBigTobacco.
Duringnegotiationsonpandemicinfluenzapreparedness,Indonesia,joinedbymanyothers,pushedforafairerandmoreequitablesystemthatsharesresponsibilitiesandaccesstobenefits,onanequalfooting.Theresultisapioneeringframeworkthatextendstraditionalcooperationinthehealth-relatedpublicsectorstoincludeannualcontributionsandfirmcommitmentsfromprivateindustry,inthenameofhealth.
Givenmycommitmenttowomen,IamgratefultotheNordiccountriesandCanadafortheirunwaveringpromotionofwomen’sempowerment,genderequity,andhumanrights,andforleadingbyexample.
SeveralrecentstudieshaveadvisedtheinternationalcommunitytolooktoBRICScountries,namelyBrazil,theRussianFederation,India,China,andSouthAfrica,asawaytomaintainthemomentumforbetterhealth.
Thesecountrieshavebecomethebiggestsuppliersofessentialmedicines,inaffordablegenericform,tothegreatbenefitofthedevelopingworld.BRICScountriesalsoofferanalternativemodelforhealthdevelopment,includingtechnologytransfer,basedmoreonequalpartnershipsthanonthetraditionaldonor-recipientmodel.
Someofthesecountriesneedsupportinupgradingqualitystandardsandimprovingregulatorycontrol.WHOisprovidingthissupport.Lastyear,afterextensivetechnicalcollaboration,WHOprequalifiedChina’sStateFoodandDrugAdministration.
OnceindividualvaccinesareprequalifiedbyWHO,thecountry’scapacitytoproducealargenumberofvaccinesatverylowpriceswillrevolutionizevaccinesuppliesandtheirprices.
Iamfurtherencouragedbythehighplacehealthisgiveninmanyregionalpoliticalandeconomicunions,andbyinternationalorgans.
LastNovember,IaddressedmembersoftheUNSecurityCouncil.Idrewtheirattentiontothethreatposedbyemergingandepidemic-pronediseases,andreassuredthem.
WHOusesasophisticatedelectronicsurveillancesystemtogatherdiseaseintelligenceinrealtime.Wearerarelytakenbysurprise.
WHOcanmountaninternationalresponsewithin24hours.ThisisbecauseofyoursupportthroughtheGlobalOutbreakAlertandResponseNetwork,butalsothecapacityofourcountryofficestogetvisas,movesuppliesthroughcustoms,andcoordinateeverystepofthewaywiththeMinistryofHealth.
Nootheragencycandothis.
YouhavebeforeyouareportonprogressinbuildingthecorecapacitiesneededtoimplementtheInternationalHealthRegulations.IlooktoyouforfurtherguidanceandadviceasweworktoseetheIHRfullyimplemented.
WeseeWHOleadershipatwork,oftenbringingoutsizedresultsforsmallbutsmartinvestments.
Africa’snewmeningitisvaccine,developedinaprojectcoordinatedbyWHOandPATH,isbeingrolledout,promisingtoendseasonalepidemicsinAfrica’smeningitisbelt.Thepaybackwillbeenormous.Asinglecaseofmeningitiscancostahouseholdtheequivalentofthreetofourmonthsofincome.Mountinganemergencyimmunizationcampaigntocontrolanepidemiccanabsorbasmuchas5%ofacountry’sentirehealthbudget.
WHOleadershipbroughttheneglectedtropicaldiseasesfromobscurityintothelimelight.TheseCinderelladiseases,longignoredandunderappreciated,arearags-to-richesstory.
InJanuary,apharmaceuticalcompanypledgedtostepupitscontributionofpreventivetreatmentsforschistosomiasis10-fold,reaching100milliontreatmentsperyearby2016.
WHOadministersthedistributionofthemajorityofdrugsdonatedtocontroltheneglectedtropicaldiseases.WiththeJanuarycommitment,WHOisnowinapositiontoprotectallschool-agechildreninAfricaatriskofschistosomiasis.
Wecanblanketthispartoftheworldwithmedicinesthatrideveryschoolchildofwormsandeggs,parasitesthatinterferewiththeirlearning,impaircognitivedevelopment,andcompromisetheirnutritionalstatus.
Thisisagifttotheirhealth,butalsototheeducationandnutritionsectors.
Lastyear,WHOrecommendedabanoninaccurateandcostlycommercialbloodtestsfordiagnosingactivetuberculosis.Lastweek,thecountrywiththelargestuseofthesetests,especiallybyprivatepractitioners,announcedlegislationbanningthetestsnationwide.
Morethanamillionofthesemisleadingbloodtestsarecarriedouteachyear,oftenatgreatdangerandgreatcosttopatients,whomayhavetopayupto$30pertest.
Thinkofwhatwearesaving.
Followingpublicationofthe2010WorldHealthReportonhealthsystemfinancing,morethan60countrieshaveapproachedWHOseekingtechnicalsupportfortheirplanstomovetowardsuniversalcoverage.
Whatweareseeinggoesagainstthehistoricalpattern,wheresocialservicesshrinkwhenmoneygetstight.Ithinkthisdrivetoexpandcoverageisapowerfulsignal.Despite