LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
Tobacco is lethal and addictive.
It kills half of the people who use it.
One third of the world's smokers reside in the Western Pacific Region, where tobacco use accounts for two deaths every minute.
Since 1990, the World Health Organization has worked with countries to develop regional action plans that highlight key actions to save lives and prevent diseases that are caused by tobacco use.
Last year, the sixtieth session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific endorsed the Regional Action Plan for Tobacco Control in the Western Pacific (2010–2014), with the vision of setting clear targets for our work.
For the first time, Member States have agreed to work toward the reduction of prevalence rates for adults and youth both for smoked and smokeless tobacco by 10% of the current baseline.
This is a major step we are taking and a turning point for tobacco control programmes in our countries.
In the past, we have been content with softer types of indicators for measuring our progress, such as developing national coordinating mechanisms or national plans of action.
But today, five years after the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control came into force, we are ready to do more.
It is now time for us to make sure that tobacco control indicators are included in the overall national health plans of all countries.
In some countries, this already has been done.
We would like to hear more about this and learn from experiences in the Region.
First, we need to set targets for reducing prevalence rates and exposure to second‑hand smoke.
We need to inform the public when we are falling short of our targets or are back‑sliding.
Second, we need to prioritize actions that have been shown to be effective.
Often, within the health sector, we stay inside our comfort zones and prefer to do what has been done in the past.
It is clear that if we want to bring down prevalence rates, we need to work more closely with the economic and financial sectors, which can influence prices and taxes of tobacco.
We need to work with the private sector, industries and businesses that can enforce 100% indoor smoke‑free regulations to protect their workers.
We need to work with many different groups, including local governments, faith‑based organizations, religious leaders and communities if we want to change social norms.
It should no longer be acceptable to tolerate smoking at home, in front of children, or in social gatherings such as weddings, funerals, birthdays or mass events, like sports festivals, cultural shows or art exhibitions.
Third, we should not be naïve about the politics of tobacco control in our countries.
Unlike programmes to combat communicable diseases, which battle against bacteria or viruses, we are working to regulate an industry that peddles an addictive substance.
We need to be vigilant against interference of the tobacco industry in the development and updating of legislation and policies.
Last, but not least, we need to pay more attention to strengthening the capacity of tobacco control programmes themselves inside ministries of health.
I have heard that in many countries, there are no full‑time tobacco control programme managers, but just a handful of staff, if any.
And there are very limited funds.
We need to strengthen our ranks, if we are to succeed.
We are aware of the constraints and limitations, particularly in developing countries.
But we need to start somewhere.
We need to "think big, start small, but act now."
I look forward to hearing of the progress of your work over the next few days as you reflect on the Regional Action Plan and pick out the most important indicators for monitoring your work.
At the sixtieth session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, it was agreed that the Member States would provide an update on progress in 2012.
With this week's meeting, I know you will be working very hard to establish your baselines in preparation for a report from your ministers in 2012.
I thank all of you for your participation.
I'm sorry that we could not host you at the Regional Office, but we are renovating our facilities.
I hope that this is a comfortable alternative venue and a productive working environment for you.
Thank you.