Honourable Minister Ma Jiantang and Mr Liu Zhenmin, Co-chairs of the Forum
Excellencies and distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Thank you very much for the opportunity to be here. It is my great honour to be speaking on behalf of the World Health Organization at this important Forum.
Let me begin by congratulating the Development Research Centre, the Centre for International Knowledge on Development, and the Beijing Municipal Government for convening such a high level forum on the Sustainable Development Goals – bringing together government, international partners, policy experts, and business leaders from such a wide range of sectors.
This is exactly the approach we must take to achieving the SDGs. By their very nature, the SDGs are multi-sectoral: we will not achieve the ambitious SDG targets if we do not work together beyond our own fields and areas of expertise.
Health is a perfect example. SDG 3 – ensuring health and well-being for all at all ages – is closely linked to achieving progress on the overall 2030 sustainable development agenda. This is because health is not only an end in itself, but also a prerequisite for, and driver of, many other SDGs.
For instance, we will not end poverty without reducing health inequities – which are a major contributor to impoverishment in many parts of the world. We cannot give children a quality education if they are not healthy enough to do well at school.
At the same time, we will not achieve the health-related goals without recognising their close connection with the other SDGs. In today’s world, major gains in health and well-being will only come from close collaboration with, and action outside, the health sector.
One of the reasons I am so pleased to be here with you today is that I believe the rest of the world has a great deal to learn from China’s approach to health and development issues.
Long before the rest of the world was talking about the SDGs, China was already pioneering a whole-of-society approach to addressing health and development issues – through the National Patriotic Health Campaign, which began almost 70 years ago.
This effort helped deliver huge breakthroughs in improving water and sanitation in communities around this country – a crucially important public health intervention which laid the foundation for China’s success in improving life expectancy.
China also provided the world with one of the earliest models of community-led primary health care – which is crucial to achieving the health-related SDGs. For decades, China’s army of barefoot doctors brought basic healthcare to people and communities who would otherwise have been left behind.
And the results speak for themselves. China’s has achieved remarkable improvements in health, development and poverty reduction.
Of course, it is not only from history that we can learn from China’s approach. Looking to the future, China has put health at the centre of the country’s development strategy – as we can see in the Healthy China 2030 Strategy.
These lessons are important – because while we have collectively made good progress over the last half century, we still have a long way to go to ensure that every person in every corner of the world is getting access to the health services that they need.
Just a few weeks ago at the UN General Assembly in New York, world leaders endorsed the most comprehensive health commitment in history. This was a milestone for public health. However, we have much to do to turn the promise of the General Assembly declaration on Universal Health Coverage into action which helps us to deliver on the SDGs, and really change lives.
As Regional Director of WHO’s most populous and diverse Region, I really want to harness the lessons of China’s experience for other countries.
China has an enormous role to play in realising our shared ambitions for a healthier, safer, more equitable and sustainable world. I look forward to working with colleagues and partners from China to help achieve this.
Thank you again for inviting me to be here today. On behalf of WHO, I wish this Forum every success.
Thank you very much.