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Welcome to this very special awards ceremony, which WHO is proud to co-host, along with HealthBridge Viet Nam.
I’d like to start by thanking each and every one of you working in the media for your reporting on sugary drinks. As I have said before, the media is very important in our cause of improving the health of the people in Viet Nam.
We are meeting today less than a week after the National Assembly’s vote to adopt the country’s first tax on sugary drinks.
WHO is thrilled at this result - which will reduce harm and health costs for decades to come, contributing to a healthier and more prosperous country.
With this vote, Viet Nam will join about 110 countries around the world in using tax to raise prices and send the signal that we should limit our consumption of these unhealthy drinks.
Saturday’s result will be especially powerful in changing the habits of children and young people, who are more influenced by price. As a result, taxing sugary drinks contributes to protecting their health, and building a healthier and stronger next generation.
As I said to you when we kicked off these awards on the 28th of April, as journalists, you are key partners. When journalists report in ways that are accurate, engaging, timely, and easy to understand, you help the public and policy makers take decisions that promote health, prolong lives, and protect economic development.
Although today’s awards can only recognize a few of you, all of you can be proud of the enormous impact your work has made for Viet Nam’s future.
Your work highlighted the relevant issues. You brought home to your audiences the very real harms caused by sugary drinks. And you made complex tax solutions clear to your readers, listeners and viewers – as well as to the decision makers whose work you help inform.
WHO is proud to have supported work towards the result we saw on the weekend, alongside our partners at HealthBridge Viet Nam, the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use and many others.
WHO will continue to work to support the Government’s priority health objectives. For example, we will continue to advocate for effective enforcement of the ban on e-cigarettes and heat-treated tobacco products, to strengthen health warnings, smoke-free environments and smoking cessation programmes.
You might wonder why the WHO invests so much time thinking about laws and taxes! It is because laws and policies, including tax policies, have a huge impact on health.
Let me quote General Secretary To Lam’s speech on Vietnamese Doctors’ Day on the 27th of February this year.
“Health care is not only about examining and treating patients,” he said, “but more importantly, it is to limit diseases.”
He went on to say: “Protecting, caring for and improving people's health is not only the task of the health sector but also the responsibility of each citizen, the entire political system and the whole society.”
We could not agree more. For the General Secretary, as for WHO, looking after people’s health includes not just medical check-ups and treatment, but also nutrition, physical exercise, hygiene, clean water, fresh air, and more – all of the things that we all need to maintain good health.
So, we look forward to continuing to work with you in the media as key partners in reaching the public, and policy makers, with clear evidence on what works to promote and protect health.
Thank you all for being here today and your interest and engagement on these important topics, and congratulations for your contributions to a healthier and safer Viet Nam.
Xin cảm ơn và chúc sức khỏe!