A very good morning Excellencies, distinguished partners, participants and colleagues.
To achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 and 3 on zero hunger and health and well-being for all, all people require access to a healthy diet.
And yet as this year’s regional report on food security and nutrition status highlights, hundreds of millions of people in Asia and Pacific lack such access.
A staggering 351 million people in Asia and Pacific are undernourished – more than half the global total.
An estimated 75.5 million children under five years of age are stunted and 31.5 million are wasted.
The emergence and spread of COVID-19 has made our task to achieve the SDGs all the more difficult.
The true impact of the pandemic on food security and nutrition is yet to be established.
However, estimates predict a 14.3% increase in the prevalence in Asia and Pacific of moderate or severe wasting among children under five years of age, which is equal to an additional 6.7 million children.
Our job is indeed immense and will require joint and comprehensive action to enhance food production, protect incomes, ensure access to health services, and increase social transfers.
Stakeholders can be certain of WHO’s ongoing collaboration and support, and I take this opportunity to highlight several priority areas of action for the coming year and beyond.
First, WHO will support all countries to strengthen health system capacity to protect and fulfill the nutrition needs of all, with a focus on mothers and mothers-to-be, newborns and children.
Building health system resilience and achieving universal health coverage will continue to be a priority and will be vital to supporting the nutrition needs of marginalized and underserved populations.
No one can be left behind.
Second, WHO will continue to support Member States to identify and implement population-based interventions that improve the food environment.
Countries in the South-East Asia Region have in recent years applied several “best buy” interventions, from prohibiting the marketing of breast-milk substitutes to banning trans-fats.
We will continue to think big and apply the Region’s “Sustain. Accelerate. Innovate” vision.
Third, WHO will advocate for and support the scaling up of multisectoral policies and action.
We will continue to support all countries to develop and implement robust policies that address the key drivers of malnutrition, for example by increasing access to education, clean water and sanitation, and reducing poverty.
I urge all stakeholders to take full cognizance of this report and once again thank our many partners for their ongoing collaboration and support.
Together, we must act with speed and scale to ensure all people in Asia and Pacific have access to a healthy diet and are food-secure, and that we achieve SDGs 2 and 3, on zero hunger and health and well-being for all.
I thank you.