Honourable Secretary Garin and Undersecretary Paul,
Honourable Members of the Philippine legislature,
Esteemed Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Colleagues from the World Bank and Bloomberg Philanthropies,
Tobacco control advocates,
Ladies and gentlemen:
Thank you for joining us today to launch the WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2015. We welcome those who are here for the first time.
This Conference Hall was built in 1957 and was destroyed by the floods of September 2009. It has been renovated and now belongs to you, our Member States.
It is a fitting venue for the launch of this report today highlighting the achievements of countries in the Region and around the world in tobacco control.
Every two years, the report presents the latest data and analysis of the tobacco epidemic. WHO also provides best practices to help guide countries’ strategies and efforts to reduce tobacco use.
This edition highlights the success of taxation. Raising taxes on tobacco has proven to be among the most effective of all control measures. Higher prices encourage smokers to quit while raising revenue to fund critical public services.
We are launching the report here to salute the Philippines successful taxation efforts. The president signed the sin tax bill into law in December 2012.
Within a year, more than 1.2 billion US dollars in additional revenue enabled the Government to expand health coverage. Health programmes to benefit the country’s poorest and most vulnerable communities have been added — as the country moves towards universal health coverage.
On behalf of WHO, I commend the President and his Government for their commitment to health. Their successful efforts in tobacco control will be their legacy and gift to future generations of healthier Filipinos.
Over the past four years, many other countries in the Region have also raised tobacco taxes. They include Australia, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Japan, Kiribati, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tonga and most recently, the Republic of Korea.
In addition to health authorities, I want to express my appreciation to the ministries of finance of these countries. Taxation has proven to be a powerful public health tool, making ministries of finance the new champions in the fight against tobacco.
Once again, however, I must caution everyone — we are on the right track, but still very far from our goal.
This epidemic is still staggering. Tobacco still kills 6 million people a year. That is one death every six seconds.
Unless we take urgent action, the death toll from tobacco will top 8 million by 2030.
We must continue to work with innovation, courage and determination towards a tobacco-free world.
Ten years ago, the Western Pacific Region, especially the Pacific Island Countries, provided the key votes to bring the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control into force. The framework is the first and only global public health treaty.
The Western Pacific is still the only Region in which 100% of eligible parties have ratified the treaty — and our Member States continue to take the lead on tobacco control.
Two years ago, Pacific health ministers adopted a tobacco-free Pacific goal. Some Pacific island countries have among the highest rates of tobacco use in the Western Pacific Region, where nearly half of the men smoke. Nevertheless, Pacific ministers are working to lower tobacco use to less than 5% of adults by 2025.
In China — where more cigarettes are smoked than anywhere else in the world — the capital Beijing became the first Asian megacity to go smoke free in June. The ban on indoor smoking is expected to benefit some 20 million people.
Other Member States are taking equally bold steps.
New Zealand has unveiled an ambitious plan to be smoke free by 2025.
Cambodia now has a strong and comprehensive national law on tobacco control.
Australia set a global example by becoming the first country to mandate plain packaging of tobacco.
These successful efforts demonstrate the Region’s commitment to tobacco control.
Together, we can reverse the trend of illness and death caused by an epidemic that continues to be one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced.
The report we are launching today shows the need for urgent action.
Your support and solidarity here at the Regional Office for the Western Pacific is appreciated.
With knowledge, passion and commitment, we continue to work towards a safer, cleaner and healthier world.
Thank you.