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STORY: WHO / HEALTH ASSEMBLY
TRT: 2.37
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 20 MAY 2013, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, walks up to the podium
2. Med shot, audience
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO:
“Influenza viruses constantly reinvent themselves. No one, no one can predict the future course of this outbreak. Going forward, we must maintain a high level of vigilance. I cannot overemphasize the importance of immediate and fully transparent reporting to WHO, and of strict adherence to your obligations set out in the International Health Regulations.”
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO:
“I am most pleased to inform you that well over 9 million people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries are now seeing their lives improved and prolonged by antiretroviral therapy. This is up from 200,000 people just eleven years ago, and this is the fastest scale-up of a life-saving intervention in history. For tuberculosis and malaria, once again I want to thank all countries for the efforts you have put in. Recent progress has been encouraging, but, but, it is increasingly clear to us we are threatened by the spread of resistance to mainstay medicines.”
5. Med shot, audience
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO:
“Risk factors for non-communicable diseases are amplified, and they are amplified by the products and practices of large and economically powerful forces. Market power readily translates into political power. This power seldom impeded efforts to reach the MDGs.”
7. Wide shot, audience
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO:
“Universal health coverage reflects the need to maximize health outcomes for everyone. Everyone, irrespective of their ability to pay, whether they are women, where they live, where they are from, should have access to the quality health care they need, without risking financial ruin."
9. Wide shot, conference room
At a time when the world is dealing with myriad challenges, from climate change to food insecurity, it is more important than ever to ensure that public health receives the both the attention and resources it deserves to ensure the well-being of millions, a senior United Nations official said today.
Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) was addressing the World Health Assembly, WHO’s supreme decision-making body, as it began its 66th session in Geneva.
She pointed out that the Assembly is meeting at a time when WHO is dealing with two new diseases. Human infections with a novel coronavirus, from the same family as SARS, were first detected last year in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. To date, 41 cases, including 20 deaths, have been reported.
Also, at the end of March this year, China reported the first-ever human infections with the H7N9 avian influenza virus. Within three weeks, more than 100 additional cases were confirmed.
Although the source of human infection with the virus is not yet fully understood, she said, influenza viruses “constantly reinvent themselves” and “no one can predict the future course of this outbreak.”
She stressed the importance of “immediate and fully transparent reporting to WHO, and of strict adherence to your obligations set out in the International Health Regulations.”
Turning to HIV, the Director-General announced that “well over 9 million people living with HIV in low and middle-income countries are now seeing their lives improved and prolonged by antiretroviral therapy.”
For tuberculosis and malaria, she said recent progress had been “encouraging” but, added that it is “increasingly clear to us we are threatened by the spread of resistance to mainstay medicines.”
Chan also stressed the need to ensure that health occupies a high place on the global development agenda beyond 2015, the deadline for achieving the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
She said “risk factors for non-communicable diseases are amplified, and they are amplified by the products and practices of large and economically powerful forces.”
She continued to say that “market power readily translates into political power” and “this power seldom impeded efforts to reach the MDGs.”
Agreed to by world leaders at a UN summit in 2000, the MDGs include specific targets to reduce child and maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and other diseases by 2015.
Chan told the meeting that “universal health coverage reflects the need to maximize health outcomes for everyone,” and added that “everyone, irrespective of their ability to pay, should have access to the quality health care they need, without risking financial ruin.”
“Chan noted that the findings of the World Health Statistics report, issued last week include dramatic improvements in health in the world’s poorest countries over the past two decades. Progress has been equally dramatic in narrowing the gaps between countries with the best and the worst health outcomes.
At its current session, the Assembly will be considering three draft global action plans – for non-communicable diseases, mental health, and the prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment.
The annual meeting, which this year runs through 28 May, is attended by delegations from all WHO member countries and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.
