HONOURABLE DR CHEN ZHU, MINISTER OF HEALTH OF CHINA,
MR SUN XIAOMING, VICE MAYOR, SHANGHAI MUNICIPALITY,
DR. JORGE MOTTA, CHAIR OF JCB
DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE JCB
HONOURABLE GUESTS,
ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES,
ASSOCIATES AND PARTNERS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
It is an honour and a privilege for me to welcome you to the first meeting in the Western Pacific Region of the Joint Coordinating Board (JCB) of the Special Programme for Research & Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR).
I am also very pleased that this important meeting is hosted by China.
It comes at the same time as the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and it's 30th anniversary as a WHO Collaborating Center in Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Filariasis.
Development is inconceivable without the input from science and technology. Communicable diseases have greatly benefitted from the many contributions made by the scientific community.
For example, we can now rely on improved diagnostics and vector control tools in malaria, dengue, and other communicable diseases as a direct result from operational research.
However, some communicable diseases still face programmatic gaps that need to be solved through research.
TDR has been successfully addressing these gaps over the last three and a half decades. It is committed to do so in the future.
It has supported the work of scientists throughout the world, many of whom now hold leading positions in governmental and academic institutions in their countries.
TDR's JCB annual meetings provide valuable opportunities for key partners to meet, review progress, discuss new challenges, and agree on future priorities.
The Western Pacific Regional Office acknowledges the value of partnerships.
I would like to commend the efforts and continuous commitment of all the JCB members, its contributing partners, recipient Member States, other United Nations agencies and the World Bank in promoting research and development.
Our region is developing a Research Plan of Action emphasizing our commitment to TDR's target diseases.
This plan is expected to encourage increased political commitment and allocation of resources to support operational research at the national level.
New challenges are faced by the malaria, TB, Neglected Tropical and other communicable diseases programmes on a regular basis. Resistance to anti-malarial drugs and multi-drug resistance in TB are some examples of these challenges.
In order to meet these challenges, the plan seeks to promote more effective links between academia and the national programmes.
We also need to look at ways to maximize the use of our collaborating centres to increase the transfer of technology, and capacity building of scientists in the least developed countries.
I believe I can speak on behalf of the Member States of my Region when I say that we fully back TDR's efforts.
We will continue to promote research and encourage synergies between the programmes and academia with emphasis on the least developed countries.
On behalf of WHO, let me express my deepest appreciation to the Government of China, for hosting the 33rd Session of TDR's Joint Coordinating Board and wish you every success in this important event.
Thank you.