*Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)
Dr Chan, Secretary-General Li Bao Dong, Vice Governor Sun, distinguished guests and colleagues – Good morning!
It is my great honour to attend this Global Health Forum plenary session on Health in All Policies. WHO’s advocacy for this area goes back decades: we have long advocated health-in-all policies to improve health and to reduce health inequities.
And there are many excellent examples of strong multi-sectoral collaboration: water fluoridation, reducing lead exposure, restricting tobacco use in workplaces and public spaces, reducing drunk driving, and requiring the use of seatbelts and child car seats.
But, I’m afraid I have a confession to make: COVID-19 has made me re-think whether “health in all policies” is really the right concept that we are trying to convey. Let me explain.
Almost 18 months into the pandemic, it is now clearer than ever before that health, the economy and the broader well-being of societies are inextricably linked.
COVID-19 has made us all rethink our own roles in protecting the health of others. And I believe there is now a greater appreciation of the intrinsic relationship between health and all other aspects of social and economic development.
In this context, I have started to question myself – about whether we have translated the idea of ‘Health in All Policies’ into an overly simplistic approach, in which we ask other sectors to work for health.
The recognition that there is both interconnectedness and interdependence between health and other sectors has made me realize that the relationship between different sectors goes beyond the linear, or transactional. I think health is part of a complex web which connects different, inter-dependent dimensions of society.
To put this more simply, health is of fundamental, or core, value to sectors beyond just health; but equally, there are clear co-benefits of different sectors working together.
To realise the value proposition of health in relation to other sectors in this way, we still need to champion of whole-of-society approaches, but we also need to do better at pursuing win-win outcomes. Climate change is the perfect example: strong action to reduce and mitigate the impacts of climate change will be good for the environment, but it will also deliver huge benefits for health.
We also need to reframe the health sector as a driver of growth and development rather than just a consumer of resources. And, we need to do this based on the understanding that fully leveraging the benefits of interconnectedness requires acting collectively.
Ladies and gentlemen, the COVID-19 experience has caused me to reflect a great deal. I believe we have a responsibility to re-think some fundamentals, in order to be able to truly emerge stronger from the pandemic. This will not be easy and it will not be straightforward, but it is necessary for us to build a new future based on healthier, safer and more sustainable societies.
Thank you very much.
*Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)