Ladies and gentlemen – good morning!
I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all of you for participating in this important meeting. The national government officials and health financing experts from two WHO regions gathered here to discuss the findings of the mid-term review of health care financing and a new regional strategy for Asia and the Pacific for the next six years.
This task is daunting. Health systems in the Western Pacific Region have developed in various directions, and some seem to have abandoned the ideals of health for all. We know that large populations in the Asia and the Pacific, especially the poor and other vulnerable groups, face serious barriers to health care access.
Now with the global financial crisis threatening the economic security of millions more people, it is even more important to review and improve current health care financing policies. We must ensure that everyone has access to quality health services, without facing crippling financial burdens.
But these also are hopeful times. We see renewed commitment by Member States to the basic principles of primary health care, with equity and universal access to quality health care as the guiding principles. WHO believes that this commitment is the best way to extend to those most in need the health gains that others in the Region have enjoyed.
Last September, the Member States in the Western Pacific Region adopted a resolution that called for a regional strategy for strengthening health systems based on the values and principles of primary health care, and highlighted the vision of universal access to quality health services for all. Our updated regional health financing strategy will be the first demonstration of our commitment to put in place what is needed, along with other essential building blocks of the health system, to achieve universal coverage.
The challenges facing WHO's South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions are enormous. We have more than half of the world’s population with some of the wealthiest and fastest-growing countries in the world. But we also have a high proportion of the poorest and most disadvantaged people. Millions were lifted from dire poverty by the economic growth that preceded the current. But the share of health care costs paid directly out-of-pocket by people in the Asia Pacific region is the highest in the world. This has pushed large numbers of households back into poverty, and the economic downturn will make many more people vulnerable to these effects if they do not have adequate protection.
WHO and other development partners recognize that this is a problem governments can and should address proactively. The current Strategy on Health Care Financing for Countries of the Western Pacific and South-East Asia Regions clearly focuses on increasing government health expenditures and reducing out-of-pocket payments. It also advocates increasing social health insurance and other mechanisms to do this. Unfortunately, the results at best have been mixed. New impetus is needed to achieve universal coverage of affordable and quality health services.
The economic crisis also makes it even more important to reinforce the link between health and social and economic development, and to resist cutbacks in health funding. Nations need a healthy population to prosper. More than that, ensuring access to health care will mean that families will not need to set aside savings to pay future hospital bills. The money they save can be then be spent on other family needs.
It is exciting to see the wide range and depth of expertise among participants and experts attending this meeting. Your collective expertise and experiences should help build the case for a stronger political commitment for financing equitable health systems. We are looking forward to your active participation and contribution in improving the health care financing strategy for the two regions – South-East Asia and Western Pacific. I have no doubt that your expertise and experience will ensure the success of this meeting. I look forward to reviewing your conclusions and recommendations.
Thank you and have a pleasant stay in Manila.