WHO D-G Dr Tedros; Ms Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO of UN Foundation; Excellencies, UN partner representatives, Regional Directors. My special thanks to the co-sponsors of this event – Indonesia and Germany.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had vast and devastating impacts on progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 and the wider 2030 Agenda.
First, in its direct impacts on health.
Second, in its indirect impacts on health.
And third, in its impacts on the social and economic determinants of health.
The World Bank estimates that more than 120 million people globally have been pushed into extreme poverty, 60% of them in South Asia – and that is before the second wave.
The crisis is immense, but it need not be multi-generational.
Primary health care (PHC) is the only way forward – a point rightly underscored in the SDG3 GAP’s new thematic challenge, and consistent with the South-East Asia Region’s Flagship Priority on achieving universal health coverage (UHC).
PHC services are where most people’s health needs should be met throughout the life-course.
When people cannot easily access PHC services that are affordable and of adequate quality, health and development suffers.
When they can, it greatly improves, driving progress on all development indicators, leaving no one behind.
The multilateral system and its partners have a range of opportunities to deliver high-impact, sustainable support, not only to promote commitment, but also accountability – precisely what this high-level forum aims to achieve.
Throughout the COVID-19 response, WHO has been urging all countries in the Region to sustain and scale up health spending, and to allocate an additional 1% of GDP to PHC services specifically.
Despite intense fiscal pressures, all countries in the Region remain committed to achieving UHC, and also enhancing emergency risk management – another of our Flagship Priorities.
Yesterday, WHO and its Member States in the Region embarked on a rigorous two-day conference on strengthening health information systems, with a focus on increasing country capacity to collect, analyse and apply high-quality, disaggregated data.
Achieving our objectives is essential for countries to identify and correct existing inequities, whether based on income, age, gender, or any other stratifier. And it will require adequate and ongoing technical, operational and financial support from partners in the Region and beyond.
In a range of key areas – not least of them health financing and debt relief – multilateral action and engagement is required to drive high-impact solutions that not only strengthen the COVID-19 response, but which make long-term progress possible, including by reducing fragmentation and inefficiencies.
Last year’s joint WHO-ADB meeting with finance and health ministers from across Asia and the Pacific is an excellent example of how multilateral action can empower leaders from across sectors and regions, based on shared experiences and lessons learned.
Innovative action is likewise needed to solve chronic and under-addressed issues that weaken PHC services in low- and middle-income countries, such as inequitable and unethical models of health workforce mobility.
I commend the tremendous efforts of all involved in last month’s Tri-Regional Policy Dialogue, which catalysed renewed multilateral progress in this crucial area of work.
At this historic juncture, we must harness the full power of multilateralism to empower communities, strengthen partnerships, and deliver a PHC-led recovery that is healthier, more equitable and resilient, and which achieves our SDG targets.
I once again thank Indonesia and Germany for co-sponsoring this event and wish you all success in your deliberations.
Thank you.