Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. I would like to welcome all of our Geneva‑based members of the press, and I am glad we are meeting in person today.
Once upon a time, the nations of the world shared a vision. After years of war, they realized it was better to work together than to fight each other, and that a healthier world was a safer world. Their vision was clear but bold: the highest possible standard of health for all people. To achieve it, they agreed to establish a new organization and codified its purpose in the Constitution of the World Health Organization. Tomorrow marks the 75th anniversary of the day that Constitution came into force—a landmark document that was the first in history to formally recognize health as a human right.
Since then, the world has made significant progress toward that vision. Global life expectancy for both sexes has risen from 46 to 73 years, with the greatest gains in the poorest countries. Smallpox has been eradicated, polio is on the brink of elimination, and 42 countries have eliminated malaria. Epidemics of HIV and TB have been pushed back, and 47 countries have eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease. In the past 20 years, smoking has fallen by a third, maternal mortality has dropped by a third, and child mortality has been halved. In the last five years, new vaccines for Ebola and malaria have been developed and licensed, and for the past three years WHO has coordinated the global response to the COVID‑19 pandemic—the most severe health crisis in a century. While we cannot claim sole credit for these achievements, we have played a leading role in partnership with many, especially our Member States.
Despite these successes, we still face numerous challenges—both old and new. Vast disparities in access to health services persist between and within countries and communities. Since 2000, access to essential services has increased, yet at least half of the world’s population still lacks one or more services such as family planning, basic sanitation, or a health worker. Inequities are often linked to geography, gender, age, poverty, refugee or migrant status, disability, ethnicity, or other forms of marginalisation. Moreover, the number of people experiencing financial hardship from out‑of‑pocket health spending has risen by a third since 2000, affecting almost two billion people. Non‑communicable diseases now account for more than 70 percent of global deaths, with dramatic increases in diabetes and obesity driven by unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. Progress against malaria and TB has stalled, antimicrobial resistance threatens a century of medical advances, and air pollution and climate change jeopardize the planet’s habitability. As COVID‑19 brutally exposed, serious gaps remain in the world’s defenses against epidemics and pandemics. For all these reasons, the world needs WHO now more than ever.
Two meetings in Geneva this week highlight the challenges we face and the work we are doing with our Member States. The first is a meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, which is discussing the “zero draft” of the pandemic accord. Like the WHO Constitution, the accord represents a generational commitment to confront shared threats with a shared response; no nation can protect itself from future epidemics without the engagement and cooperation of all. Over the next year, countries will continue negotiations in preparation for the World Health Assembly in 2024, where the accord will be presented for adoption.
The second meeting is the Fifth Global Forum on Human Resources for Health. Health workers are the backbone of every health system—there is no health without health and care workers. Yet many countries face severe shortages, and many of the workers they have migrate elsewhere for better pay and conditions. WHO estimates that, at current trends, the world will face a shortage of 10 million health and care workers by 2030, with the most acute gaps in the poorest nations. The COVID‑19 pandemic reminded the world of the immense value of these workers, but an estimated 50 percent experienced burnout during the crisis. Even before the pandemic, many worked in unsafe conditions, with low pay and inadequate training. Although women comprise almost seven in ten health workers globally, they hold less than one in four senior health‑sector positions, and many face gender‑based violence in the workplace. As the world rebuilds, we call on all countries to protect and invest in their health and care workforce—ensuring safe working conditions, decent pay, labour‑rights protection, and freedom from violence and discrimination.
Alongside the Global Forum, WHO today launched a new campaign to improve emergency‑care training for nurses and midwives. When emergency care is delivered well, the chances of surviving injury or life‑threatening illness increase dramatically, while the risk of long‑term disability is significantly reduced. Our campaign, 25x25x25, aims to support 25 countries in training 25 percent of their nurses and midwives in WHO’s Basic Emergency Care course by the end of 2025.
Finally, this year marks the fourth edition of the WHO Health for All Film Festival. Nearly 800 filmmakers from 106 countries submitted short films in six categories covering themes such as the health impacts of the climate crisis, COVID‑19, mental health, malaria, disability, and more. Ninety films have been shortlisted for review by an international jury of artists and development leaders, with winners to be announced in June 2023. The shortlisted films are available on WHO’s YouTube channel in six playlists, one for each category. We encourage everyone to watch, comment, and share the films they like most on social media. Film is a powerful way to tell health stories.
WHO’s own story began 75 years ago and continues to be written. The challenges we face today differ from those of 1948, but our vision remains unchanged: the highest possible standard of health for all people.
Fadéla, back to you.
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