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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal" align="center"><b><span lang="EN-MY">Report of the Opening Address by the outgoing Director General of
WHO, Dr Margaret Chen</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal" align="center"><b><span lang="EN-MY">70<sup>th</sup> World Health Assembly 22 May 2017</span></b><span lang="EN-MY"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">In her much anticipated opening address, the outgoing
Director General of WHO, Dr Margaret Chen declared that she had kept her
promise of working hard at her job while in office.<span> </span>“I promised to work tirelessly and have done
so but have not got tired in the best of times,” she stated.<span> </span>And she reminded the audience that she
accepted accountability for actions taken during office.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">In reference to the DG’s report, she drew attention to
setbacks and successes as well as several landmark events.<span> </span>“Above all it is a tribute to the power of
partnerships.”<span> </span>She gave the example of
ARVs and how a decade of collective action had led to the plummet in prices of
Hep C drugs.<span> </span>“This keeps us optimistic,”
she declared.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">“Yes, we falter sometimes but we never give up despite
the dismal political and economic outlook in recent years,” she added.<span> </span>The alarming attacks on humanitarian and aid
workers have been unprecedented.<span>
</span>According to WHO reports, more than 300 attacks occur daily, the
majority in Syria and Middle East territories.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">She gave thanks that the 2009 avian flu epidemic was
mild and that human influenza was not spreading wildly; however there was a
need for vigilance against any virulent outbreaks.<span> </span>“We were not so lucky with the Ebola and Zika
viruses.<span> </span>WHO was caught by surprise by
the Ebola virus outbreak but worked quickly.<span>
</span>WHO gave the world its first Ebola vaccine,” she stated.<span> </span>She reiterated the need for strong health
systems to prevent deaths , and to protect the vulnerable.<span> </span>She shared that in the previous week, Congo
had reported another Ebola outbreak.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">The Ebola outbreak in West Africa had a number of <span> </span>positive spill over effects:</span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"><span>1.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-MY"><span> </span>WHO acquired new experience in R & D</span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"><span>2.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-MY">The blueprint for R & D
development let to the setting up of SEPI</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">“So the world is better prepared to deal with Ebola
but not nearly well enough,” she stated.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">She reiterated that WHO was still relevant in many
ways.<span> </span>Relevance is readily apparent when
WHO endorses a new medical product and partners find ways to fund it.<span> </span>She reminded that WHO approval triggers
action as demonstrated by the example of GAVI.<span>
</span>By the end of 2016, WHO prequalified a large number of agents for
treating HIV infections.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">WHO’s relevance was dramatically demonstrated during
the recently concluded high level meeting on neglected diseases.<span> </span>The fact that in 2015, <span> </span>1 billion people received treatment for
illnesses that had the potential to blind and maim them <span> </span>was cause for celebration.<span> </span>“This was a success story that the world
was<span> </span>hungry to hear,” she added.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">She drew attention to the contributions of Member
States through valuable expertise sharing.<span>
</span>“I want to thank your scientific institutions that help WHO with their
scientific expertise,” stated Chen.<span> </span>She further
stated that the resolutions that are adopted at the WHA raise the profile of
neglected problems.<span> </span>For example, the
resolution on mental health <span> </span>helped put
the spotlight on this hidden<span> </span>problem.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">She highlighted that the strongest calls for
action<span> </span>have been on Universal Health
Coverage and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), both of which have triggered broad
based action.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">She reiterated that in order to achieve the SDGs 2030
goals, actions of Member States must be guided by the 5 P’s :<span> </span>people, prosperity, partnership, peace and
planet.<span> </span>She drew attention to the the
serious and highly visible problem of childhood obesity and WHO efforts on the
eradication of polio and guinea worm disease.<span>
</span>The rise of chronic Non-Communicable Diseases called for a move away
from curing to prevention.<span> </span>She
celebrated the success of the Every Woman, Every Child initiative, calling it a
‘game changer’ and a milestone in her administration.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">She admitted that the most contentious issue was
access to<span> </span>medicines involving unjust
patent regimes, bilateral and multilateral trade agreements which were major
impediments to access.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">She acknowledged the role of DNDI as a needs driven
R&D initiative for treating sexually transmitted diseases notably
gonorrhoea.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">In her conclusion, Dr Chen offered<span> </span>the following guidance: </span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 37.9pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-MY"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-MY">WHO stands for fairness and reduction
in inequalities</span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 37.9pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-MY"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-MY">What gets measured, gets
done.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 37.9pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-MY"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-MY">Scientific evidence is the
bedrock in a post-truth world.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 37.9pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-MY"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-MY">The current measles outbreak in
Europe and North America should not have happened and it has spread to other
countries.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 37.9pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-MY"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-MY">R & D partnerships helped
Africa.</span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 37.9pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-MY"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-MY">Safeguard WHO’s integrity with
all Non-State Actor engagement ( Many other UN agencies refer to WHO as a
leader in this area)</span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 37.9pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-MY"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-MY">Multiple determinants of health
demand more attention</span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 37.9pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-MY"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-MY">Listen to Civil Society – they
are best placed to hold industry accountable.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">“Above all, the most important advice coming from an
outgoing DG is: Remember the People;<span>
</span>Behind every number is a face,” she implored.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">She concluded by stating, “This is the last time I
shall address the WHA.<span> </span>I have done my
service with great humility and also with great pride.<span> </span>Last but not least, I thank my husband (David
) and my family for their love and support.<span>
</span>David, thank you for listening.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY">Shila Kaur, HAIAP, Penang.<br></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"> </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-MY"><span> </span></span></p>
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