Thank you very much Michael Bloomberg for hosting the event and for his leadership. Thank you also Minister Basso of Uruguay and everyone else here today for your tireless work to stop people dying in the prime of their lives from illnesses like cancer and heart and lung disease.
We are meeting at an important moment: health is at a political tipping point.
Ten days ago, I attended the G20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany: That was the first time that WHO attended, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chancellor Merkel and her government for this.
Last week also, leaders met in London to recommit to efforts to ensure that women and girls around the world have the services they need to survive and thrive.
And this week, top government officials from around the world are in New York to review progress towards 5 key SDGs, including the health goal.
For WHO, the centre of gravity for the SDGs is universal health coverage and the mantra of the SDGs is “leave no one behind.”
And that is exactly what universal health coverage is and does – it leaves no one behind – and using the SDGs as an opportunity. Universal health coverage (UHC) also means that all people get the right care, in the right place, at the right time, wherever they are and whoever they are, and making sure they don’t face financial hardship as a result.
The exciting news is that we are seeing unprecedented political momentum building for universal health coverage around the world. Last week, when the G20 leaders met, they also passed a communiqué, from which I will quote: "We recall universal health coverage is a goal adopted in the 2030 Agenda and recognize that strong health systems are important to effectively address health crises. We call on the UN to keep global health high on the political agenda and we strive for cooperative action to strengthen health systems worldwide."
This is because more countries are seeing that universal health coverage is a smart investment. UHC lays the foundation for progress towards all the other health targets – including the one we are here to talk about today: beating noncommunicable diseases.
There are two sides to the noncommunicable disease challenge. Clearly, it is important to provide services to test and treat people who are ill. But the real breakthrough will come when we can stop people developing these diseases in the first place – prevention being the foundation of what we do.
As you all know, one of the single biggest causes of noncommunicable diseases is tobacco. Tobacco kills more than 7 million people annually. That is equivalent to wiping out the entire population of Bulgaria or Paraguay every year. That is unacceptable.
But the number (in terms of prevalence in tobacco smoking) is beginning to fall.
We are here today to celebrate the fact that 60% of the world’s population is now protected by what WHO calls “best practice” measures to curb tobacco use – like banning advertising, outlawing smoking in public places, and taxing tobacco. This opens the door to saving tens of millions of lives.
What concerns me is how to protect the other 40%.
So I am delighted to have Michael Bloomberg at my side today - one of the world’s most accomplished businessmen, former mayor of one of the most important cities in the world, and a committed and passionate advocate in the fight against NCDs – especially tobacco. Thank you so much for your commitment, service and passion Michael.
And I am excited to see so many heads of state embracing the cause: I welcome the invitation from President Tabaré Vázquez of Uruguay to co-host a ministerial conference on NCDs in Montevideo this October. I met the President in Geneva a few weeks ago and witnessed first hand his passion and commitment as a real champion in the fight against tobacco. His government, and he himself, have been trailblazers in the war on tobacco. That is what I call leadership.
Join me in congratulating him, Mike Bloomberg and others who stand up with us all in the fight to beat NCDs.
I thank you.