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Press Release SEA/PR/1375
05 September 2004
Male, September 5, 2004: “One of the biggest
challenges in the health sector for many countries of the region, including
the Maldives, is that of matching resources with requirements, as resources
are scarce, and needs are plenty” said President Maumoon
Abdul Gayoom. He said preventive strategies,
healthy lifestyles, efficient management of resources and international
cooperation are essential to ensure sustainability. H.E. President Gayoom was speaking today at the joint inauguration of
the 22nd Meeting of Ministers of Health of the Countries of WHO
South-East Asia Region and the 57th Session of the Regional
Committee for South-East Asia.
Referring to potential pandemics and the threat of new and
re-emerging communicable diseases, President Gayoom
said that SARS and the Avian influenza had affected most of the countries of
the Region, and that the response to such outbreaks requires strong national
and regional collaboration as well as the support of the international
community.
On the HIV/AIDS epidemic, he said this was posing an
unprecedented challenge to humankind. He added that in the Maldives too, AIDS is a potential public
health threat and that the country had taken several measures for its control
including voluntary counseling and testing, revised surveillance protocols
modeled on WHO guidelines and Anti Retroviral therapy for AIDS patients in
the Maldives.
President Gayoom saw thalassaemia as a matter of great concern for the
country. While today, one in five persons is a thalassaemia
carrier, according to projections, in fifty years, the cost of treatment
could consume over 40 percent of the per capita health expenditure and half
the country might have to become blood donors for the other half. He
called to WHO to strengthen its country responses to
address issues like these.
Dr Samlee Plianbangchang,
Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia commended the remarkable progress
made by the Republic
of Maldives in both
national and health development. Since 1980, in a little over twenty years,
life expectancy had risen from 50 years to 71, and infant mortality rate had
decreased from 94 to 14 per 1000 live births.
He noted the strong link between health and development.
He referred to the Global Commission on Macroeconomics and Health and its
emphasis on increased investment in health to achieve social and economic
development. He said, “By scaling up investment in health we can stimulate
economic growth and reduce poverty, and these in turn, would further enhance
health development. He added that countries need to recognize the centrality
of health in sustainable development.”
He said that it would require strong political commitment
and leadership to close disparities in health and to ensure that “all peoples
in our Region will be optimally healthy”. Dr Samlee
said that Health Ministers are best placed to persuade their Heads of
Governments, “that putting more money into health is a very sound investment
for any country”.
Dr Samlee expressed confidence
that the two key meetings – the Health Ministers’ Meeting and the Regional
Committee Meeting -- would help to forge greater regional unity and
collaboration for best gains from our health development
endeavors. Dr Samlee said that
international unity for health was the basis of WHO’s
establishment, five decades ago, and this solidarity was demonstrated during
recent outbreaks of emerging diseases like SARS and Avian Influenza. He added
that already countries of our region are benefiting from the Global Fund to
fight the scourge of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria.
The 22nd Meting of Ministers of Health of the
Countries of WHO South-East Asia Region is being held from 5 - 6 September.
These meetings have been held since 1981. They provide a forum for
ministers to discuss important health issues in the region as well as for
forging bilateral arrangements.
The 57th Session of Regional Committee for
South-East Asia (RC57), the Governing Body of WHO at the Regional level, will
meet from 7 – 9 September. Representatives from the eleven South-East Asia
Region (SEAR) countries will attend these meetings and most delegations to
the RC57 will be led by the Health Ministers of their countries.
The eleven Member
Countries of WHO in SEAR are:
Bangladesh, Bhutan,
DPR Korea, India, Indonesia,
Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal,
Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor
Leste.
For further
information please contact: Mrs Harsaran Bir Kaur Pandey,
Information Officer, WHO SEARO, from 3-10 September 2004 at Kurumba Island Phone# 00-960443885 Or email: Kurumba@dhivehinet.net.mv
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