WHO COLLEAGUES FROM COUNTRY OFFICES, THE WESTERN PACIFIC
REGIONAL OFFICE AND HEADQUARTERS;
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
Good morning.
Welcome to Manila and the annual network meeting of the Division of NCD and Health through the Life-Course.
We are here today to take stock of lessons learnt over the past two years. We are also strategically looking forward to the next biennium and the coming Sustainable Development Goals.
More and more, the landscape of public health is made up of chronic, complex and progressive causes of death and disease.
Noncommunicable diseases — such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer — continue to be the number one killer in the Western Pacific Region.
In addition to taking lives prematurely, NCDs overwhelm health systems.
In this Region, climate change threatens entire countries and exposes cities and communities to enormous threats to life from natural disasters.
Most people with mental illness in the Region continue to suffer in silence due to stigma and discrimination.
Road traffic injuries remain a leading cause of death and disability among children.
We are moving the right direction, with some significant achievements over the past two years.
Learning and development courses are empowering leaders in health promotion and cancer prevention across the Region.
Water safety plans have improved access to safer water in rural communities.
The First Embrace programme will save newborn babies from the most common causes of disease and death.
Beijing has become the first megacity in Asia to ban indoor smoking.
These are examples of powerful public health solutions involving diverse sets of partners — from mayors and community health workers to journalists and others.
We can see that health for all is achieved only when all are involved.
Let us continue working together to make a difference in the lives of the Region's 1.8 billion people.
I look forward to the outcomes of this meeting and encourage everyone to continue to work towards excellence in public health.
Thank you.