(Geneva, 18 May 2009)

 

Your Excellency Mr. President,

Distinguished ministers,

Dear colleagues,

 

This year's World Health Assembly is held when the global financial crisis has hit the whole world and Influenza A (H1N1) has sent alarm to the global public health system, and is thus of particularly important significance.  I believe that this assembly will help the international community reach consensus, coordinate actions, and enhance mutual understanding, as well as increase the capacity of the global health system in response to crisis and speed up attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

 

Since March 2009, some countries have experienced Influenza A (H1N1) outbreaks, and the disease has been spreading rapidly.  By 17 May, 39 countries have officially reported 8480 confirmed cases, including 72 deaths. The international community responded immediately after the new outbreaks, mobilizing resources and taking actions to curb the virus from further spreading.  In this process, the World Health Organization has kept updating the Member States with disease development, offering technical supports in case definition, laboratory diagnosis, clinical treatment, and coordinating virus sharing among relevant countries. On behalf of the Chinese government, I'd like to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to WHO for its leadership in responding to this public health emergency, and we would work closer together with the international community and jointly curb the spread of the influenza pandemic.

 

China is still a developing country with a large and dense population, and with uneven regional development and weak health infrastructure.  After the outbreak of the  new influenza, due to the tough lessons from previous SARS epidemic, the Chinese government has paid great attention to the disease, and has followed its development closely.  Governments at all sectors and levels have adopted the principle of "preparing for the worst, aiming for the best", immediately launched a cross-sectional joint outbreak prevention and control working mechanism. The central government has appropriated an additional 5 billion RMB and has taken decisive control measures in order to protect people's health.  After detecting imported cases, in line with the requirements under the International Health Regulation (2005), the Chinese government immediately informed the WHO and relevant countries and regions, communicated closely with parties concerned, provided them with flight and passenger information and other details, and conducted contact tracing effectively.  To prevent further spread of the infection and protect people's health and security, we have put some passengers under medical observation in accordance with relevant regulations and scientific control principles. We have also enhanced regional cooperation with ASEAN, Japan and Korea in response to this new influenza, and committed to holding training courses for laboratory diagnostic techniques, to contribute our share in improving the regional response capacities.

 

Mr. President,

 

The Influenza A (H1N1) emergency has demonstrated, once again, the importance of a stable public health system in responding to any new and sudden outbreaks of communicable diseases.  Yet the current financial crisis is having a negative impact on the global public health system.  The Chinese government has well acknowledged that the improvement of the health sector will increase domestic investment, boost relevant industries, and drive up the overall economy.  It will improve consumer expectation, and prop up their confidence; it is the priority of public welfare and an effective solution to the financial crisis.  The Chinese government has leveraged the health reform to boost the domestic demand, improve people's wellbeing, and further develop the heath sector.  At the end of 2008, we invested additional 5.8 billion RMB into rural health sector.  In April 2009, we issued a new health reform program, envisaging an additional 850 billion RMB health funding in the coming three years. The reform program sets the following five priorities: one, expending the coverage of basic health insurance to 90% of population with increased benefits and better medical relief system; two, improving community and grassroots medical health service system; three, gradually promoting equal access to basic public health service.  By 2009, the per capita public health service budget should be no less than 15 RMB, and that figure for 2011 should increase to 20 RMB.  By 2011, all residents in China will enjoy free basic public health service, major public health projects including the prevention and control of communicable diseases will receive more support, and the overall public health will be improved greatly; four, to gradually set up the national essential drug system; and five, running pilot projects for public hospital reform to reduce the public burden in this regard.

 

Mr. President,

 

The current Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak has coincided with the global financial crisis, and its possible impacts on the world economic and social development cannot be underestimated, especially for the developing world.  Developing countries have limited financial capacity and insufficient and weak public health system, and are more vulnerable in the face of outbreaks which may cause export shrinking, capital flight, and fiscal deficit in these countries.  Global health, in particular health development in the developing world is facing tremendous challengue.  Therefore, I'd like to make the following proposals.

 

One, international cooperation must be carried out for a global response to this public health emergency.  Economic globalization has led to a global transmission of diseases.  To address this global challenge, a better way is to take global actions. Nations need to have better cooperation, demonstrate solidarity, support each other in information, technology and knowledge sharing, to jointly fight against the disease and prevent it from developing into a new crisis threatening the economic and social development of mankind.  To this end, I propose an international seminar on the prevention and control of Influenza A (H1N1) to be held in Beijing this July, for better experience sharing and capacity enhancing in response to the influenza pandemic.  We sincerely welcome your participation. The Chinese government would like to cooperate with other countries and relevant international organizations in sharing information, technology and best practices in outbreak response, to better cope with this challenge to global public health.

 

Two, more support should be given to developing countries' health sector. The implementation of health-related MDGs has made important progress, but great challenges still lie ahead.  The MDGs are strong commitments made by the governments around the world, and the shared responsibility for the whole international community.  There are only 6 years left between now and 2015, and all nations need to overcome difficulties and advance the cause.  More attention should be paid in this regard and concrete efforts should be made to mitigate the negative impacts of financial crisis on the developing countries. The developed world and international organizations need to shoulder their responsibilities, continue to honor commitments in development assistance and debt relief, maintain and increase assistance to the developing countries, especially in their health sector.

 

Three, the international community need to better implement the International Health Regulation (2005).  This episode of influenza outbreak is the first global public health emergency after the revision of the IHR in 2005.  Under the IHR framework, countries can better share information, and work closely together to monitor cases and conduct contact tracing.  All these are of great importance in curbing the outbreaks, and maintaining social stability and public confidence. Right now the pandemic pressure has been relatively eased, and the virus is less virulent than expected.  But we cannot lower our vigilance, and must prevent the influenza from recurrence in this coming fall and winter.  Member States need to support the General-Director and the Secretariat of the WHO, so that they can better demonstrate their leadership, coordinate with parties to make research breakthrough, and improve the accessibility and affordability of vaccines and anti-viral drugs for the developing countries.  We also appeal to the pharmaceutical industries to shoulder their social responsibilities,  and enable more pharmaceutical induesties to produce generic drugs.

                  

Mr. President, dear colleagues,

 

To actively and appropriately tackle global financial crisis, prevent and control Influenza A (H1N1) and protect people's health will help the world sustain its growth and improve the wellbeing of all people.  Everyone is entitled to an equal right to life; everyone deserves an equal assess to health service and benefits brought about by economic and social development.  I believe that so long as all governments and international organizations live up to their responsibilities and obligations, so long as we work closely together, regardless of regions and nations, we human beings as a whole will inevitably weather this crisis.

 

I thank you all.