HONOURABLE HEALTH MINISTERS
• DR LI BIN (CHINA)
• MR NORIHISA TAMURA (JAPAN)
• Dr HYUNGPYO MOON (REPUBLIC OF KOREA)
AND DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES:
Good morning:
I would like to congratulate you on successfully organizing this 6th Tripartite Health Ministers' meeting.
I appreciate the role given to WHO in this meeting and I am delighted to have been invited as Regional Director for the Western Pacific to observe your deliberations.
On a personal basis, I would also like to thank you for your support in nominating me for a second term in last month's Regional Committee. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to work with you for another five years.
China, Japan and the Republic of Korea are among the most prominent Member States in this Region, not only because they collectively constitute 87% of the population, but also because of their leadership role in the regional health arena and important contributions to global health.
Close connections between the three countries extends beyond geography to communications, trade and travel.
This intense exchange of people and goods presents an increased risk of spreading emerging infectious diseases and other cross-border health threats.
I would like to commend the three countries for achievements made over the past few years in implementing International Health Regulations, including stronger surveillance networks shared by the three countries and better exchange of information on emerging infectious diseases and food security.
New types of influenza have been occurring as we have seen during the March outbreak of Influenza A(H7N9) in China. I would like to praise the Chinese government for their leadership of the highest quality which ensured the quick containment of this event. As I anticipated, we have observed in September a recurrence of cases which prove the importance of these mechanisms.
Previous tripartite meetings have always focused on discussing critical health topics of common interest and have led to concrete action.
This year's discussions will focus on very important issues including universal health coverage and ageing and health. As you may be aware, these topics have also been taken up by the UN system as some of the most important health agenda for this decade.
China, Japan and the Republic of Korea have a wealth of experience on the issue of universal health coverage to share with other countries in the Region and beyond.
While the three countries have demonstrated success stories, the situation is constantly evolving as the cost of healthcare becoming more expensive. Countries can learn from each other on how best to adapt to people's ever increasing needs and advances in science and technology.
As we all know, Japan, as the most silver society in the world, has for a long time developed comprehensive and successful systems in order to meet the needs of its people.
Korea has also developed various social security networks and health care systems to support its rapidly ageing society.
China will soon put in place its own systems to prepare for the important increase in older people within the context of rapid economic development.
I am pleased to recall that ageing and health was a core agenda of this year's 64th Regional Committee Meeting, were Member States endorsed after extensive dicscussions the Regional Framework for Action on Ageing and Health in the Western Pacific Region (2014-2019).
Your three countries experiences and advice will be critical to ensure the successful implementation of this framework.
Close collaboration and discussions on the selected agenda items are critical to ensure the right choices are made in this rapidly changing environment.
We at WHO appreciate your leadership on these health matters and look forward to learning from your experiences.
The issues to be discussed today are of the utmost importance for public health in this Region and WHO stands ready to facilitate and provide support.
Country Cooperation Strategies guide the collaboration of WHO and Member States.
The development of the China-WHO Country Cooperation Strategy was the first in this Region to spell-out China’s contribution and role in global health.
I am pleased to inform you that WHO has now embarked on the development of Country Cooperation Strategies for advanced countries.
We have started the development of a Country Cooperation Strategy with the Republic of Korea.
Based on this experience, we hope to open a similar dialogue with Japan in the near future.
I would like to congratulate you again for your leadership and efforts to foster collaboration between your three countries.
I consider this collaboration to be of utmost importance for advancing public health in this Region.
As Regional Director I will make sure that our Organization is ready to support you along the way.
Thank you for your valuable efforts and I wish you all a very successful meeting.