Your Excellency Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Your Excellency Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba,
Your Excellency Minister of Health Eteni Longondo,
Your Excellency Roger Kamba, Special Adviser to the president for Universal Health Coverage,
Your Excellency Minister of Social Affairs Nene Ilunga Nkulu,
Your Excellency Madame Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General,
Mr David McLachlan-Karr, United Nations Resident Coordinator,
Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear colleagues and friends,
Bonjour!
I am honoured to join everyone assembled here today in Kinshasa for this very important event.
I am glad to be back home. I have been here with you many times, especially during the response to the Ebola outbreak. During one of my 13 visits to the Democratic Republic of the Congo since May 2018, I was even given the name “Paluku.” So, I am Dr Paluku from Butembo, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It is such a great honour to have this name.
In particular, I am very grateful to be walking side by side with my brother, President Tshisekedi, on the road to Universal Health Coverage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Today’s Kinshasa Commitment on Universal Health Coverage, and the presentation of the national UHC strategy, represent profound and practical steps towards achieving health for all.
President Tshisekedi, WHO and the United Nations family have walked a long road together for promoting and protecting health.
Many of you might not know that the path we are taking today started in Abbis Ababa in February 2019, on the margins of the African Union, and in Abuja, Nigeria, in July 2019 at a meeting organized by the Elumelu Foundation. At those two meetings the President was very clear. He told me about his determination to ensure Universal Health Coverage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Our road continued to New York, last September, during the United Nations General Assembly, when world leaders adopted the first political declaration on Universal Health Coverage.
I was honoured that President Tshisekedi stood up, among other heads of state, to voice his strong support and commitment for UHC.
His vision and enthusiasm for change are why we are here today.
Democratic Republic of the Congo’s citizens have faced many health challenges from malaria, to measles, with one of the most devastating outbreak in the past 50 years, to malnutrition, and Ebola.
Since the outbreak began in August 2018, more than 3400 people have contracted the virus and more than 2200 have lost their lives.
Fears and anxieties have run high in many communities as people have sought protection both from the virus and, often, from insecurity that has hampered the response.
The government has faced this battle head on – led by the President – who has himself travelled to affected communities to lead what has become a monumental response.
The United Nations, WHO, and the wider international community have stood shoulder to shoulder with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We have joined you in a campaign to strangle the virus at its source and contain its spread.
Hope is in sight. We are nearing the end of the Ebola outbreak.
Just four cases were reported last week, compared with 120 during one week in April last year at the height of the outbreak.
But as long as there is a single case in circulation, the outbreak has not been defeated.
Earlier this week the Emergency Committee on Ebola advised me that in their view, the outbreak remains a public health emergency of international concern. I accepted that advice.
But I am confident that if progress continues at its current pace, we will soon be declaring the end of this outbreak. Of course, the Emergency Committee members have expressed their strong support for the government and its successes, which have brought the Ebola outbreak to the verge of defeat.
This is why His Excellency, President Tshisekedi, and his government are taking the steps needed to plan for a Democratic Republic of the Congo “beyond Ebola.” We are confident that if progress continues at this current rate the outbreak will soon be over.
But even as we continue to work to end this outbreak, we must act now to ensure there is never another one like it.
And we must also prepare for other crises, such as the current outbreak of COVID-19.
Since Chinese authorities reported this outbreak to WHO, we have worked tirelessly with the international community to respond, and to prepare country for further international spread.
Like with Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, our strategy is to hammer the virus at its epicenter in China, where 99% of all cases have been reported. Just over 400 cases have been reported in 24 other countries, and this remarkably small compared to the numbers in China. This is because China is doing all it can to control the spread of the virus at its source. This is providing the rest of the world a window of opportunity to prepare. This is an opportunity we should not miss. We should recognize China for its efforts and for doing all it can to contain the spread of the virus to the rest of the world.
We are most concerned about communities, and countries, that have weaker health systems, which in turn may be more vulnerable to the import of the virus.
Therefore, we are focusing our efforts on strengthening diagnostic capacities and delivering supplies like masks, gloves and aprons to protect health workers who care for people who have contracted the virus.
Much of our effort has been focused in the African continent as we bolster health systems to be able to respond if needed, while laying the groundwork where needed for stronger emergency preparedness.
Ultimately, the best defense against any outbreak is a strong health system.
That is why we’re here.
We must work together to strengthen the health system of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to promote and protect the people of this great country – because that is what they deserve.
Most importantly, that means building a strong primary health care system that can reach all communities with services to promote health, prevent disease and provide treatment.
It also means access to skilled health workers; and safe, effective and affordable medicines;
And it means sustained investment to build and equip hospitals, clinics and laboratories.
But achieving Universal Health Coverage is first and foremost a political choice.
That is the choice we are seeing here today.
Your Excellency, your commitment shows you are putting the health of your people first. You have said you do not want a strategy that looks wonderful on paper, but only ends up gathering dust on a shelf. What he wants is not just a strategy, but action.
My sister Dr Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for the African Regional Office, and our dedicated Country Office, have been supporting the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on this journey for many years.
All three levels of WHO stand ready to support the Democratic Republic of the Congo in implementing the Strategic UHC Plan, and achieving its main objectives:
To improve health service delivery across all levels of the health system;
To provide financial protection to all people;
To strengthen the "Health in all policies" approach to reduce the burden of disease and ensure the sustainability of the UHC system;
To foster good governance and management of the national UHC system;
And to mobilize the resources needed to implement UHC.
To support these goals, I would like to urge three steps to be taken to ensure that the Democratic Republic of the Congo succeeds in achieving Universal Health Coverage.
The first is for the international community to step up and invest in supporting the Democratic Republic of the Congo to achieve its goal of Universal Health Coverage.
WHO will play its part, as chair of the coordination body of international partners, to orient support from donors into the implementation of the national UHC strategy.
At the same time, in line with the UN Reform, WHO will continue supporting the Resident Coordinator in streamlining UN agency work, in particular during the post-Ebola transition period.
I am delighted to see representatives of the United Nations system and other global partners in health reconfirming their support for the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s vision.
The second step is for the government to continue on the path of prioritizing the health of its people. This will succeed with the continuation of the high-level political commitment we are witnessing today.
The key ingredients for this success will be the mobilization of all sectors of government and society around the goal of achieving health for all.
Good governance, transparency and accountability will be key. We have seen in the Ebola response that listening to, and learning from, the affected communities is essential for success.
And the third step is to ensure that the national UHC strategy builds upon the successes and structures of the Ebola response.
Although Ebola has brought untold tragedy to thousands of people, it has also created a unique opportunity.
The experience you have gained, and the capacities that have been built, can both be used as the foundation of a stronger health system. That is what my good friend Professor Muyembe has been advocating for, to use these resources for building new structures.
Domestic and international investment has helped build a robust health infrastructure in Ebola-affected areas, driven by strong surveillance systems, case detection, disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.
These are the pillars of an effective health system.
Our challenge is to take the lessons learned, and the capacities built during the Ebola outbreak, and transition this energy and expertise into a new direction for the health system.
We have seen this work in other areas: assets from multiple areas of infectious disease control are now being used to support the Ebola response, or Ebola systems used to roll out cholera vaccines. We need to build health systems that work across different diseases to ensure everyone’s full range of health needs are catered for.
The transition from Ebola to UHC provides a unique opportunity to strengthen the entire Democratic Republic of the Congo’s health system, as long as the political commitment translates into the adequate and progressive mobilization of domestic resources. This is a prerequisite to achieve the ambitious goals set up today.
This positive and powerful shift can increase the health system’s capacity to prepare for, and respond to, any health emergency, in line with the newly validated National Action Plan for Health Security.
Dear friends, I fully understand the great depth of suffering that the Ebola outbreak has inflicted. We at WHO, and within the health community, have shed tears and blood, and lost cherished colleagues and friends, as we have strived side-by-side with brave Congolese to end the emergency.
While deeply painful to many people, families and communities, the experiences learned from the Ebola virus disease outbreak should not be lost.
Rather, the human costs invested compel us to build a brighter future together.
We understand the massive challenges for the President and Government. It is for this reason we call for full support and commitment of all partners and stakeholders to come together, in the spirit of collaboration and solidarity, to implement Democratic Republic of the Congo’s National Strategic Plan for Universal Health Coverage.
I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize the longstanding support provided by partners to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the health sector and the incredible work that civil society, faith-based and private sector organizations have done to supply quality services throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Their convergence and coordination going forward, on the road to UHC, will be fundamental. I hope these institutions will continue to support this common goal on the road to UHC.
If we continue to these steps together, we will walk a long way towards building the health system needed to deliver health for all.
I would like to reiterate my congratulations to His Excellency President Tshisekedi and his government for taking not just steps – but great strides – to promoting and protecting the health of all Congolese.
Rest assured, the United Nations, WHO and all our partners in the international community will be with His Excellency every step of the way as we strive to promote health, keep the world safe, serve the vulnerable.
Thank you. Merci beaucoup.