19 January 2017 Newsletter
From the Desk of Dr. Tedros
Dear colleagues and friends,
Warm greetings to you in 2017.
I would like begin my first message of the year by highlighting two recent reflections that I published about two of my five leadership priorities for my vision for WHO.
Universal health coverage will lead to a healthier and more equitable world. Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health of South Africa, and I co-authored an op-ed in Mail & Guardian, in which we explain why we are convinced that universal health coverage, with strong primary care and essential financial protection, is the key to achieving the ambitious health targets of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and to avoiding impoverishment from exorbitant out-of-pocket health expenses.
In my latest piece on Huffington Post, I express my commitment to ensuring a strong, coordinated, global response to health emergencies and include three reasons why I am the best candidate to address them. I emphasise the need for national preparedness to deal with health threats and build capacity. As Director-General, I will ensure strong, coordinated and rapid global responses to health emergencies by strengthening WHO’s capacity to lead by implementing and independently monitoring the newly-established WHO programme for outbreaks and health emergencies.
Next week, Member States of the WHO Executive Board will convene to short-list the top three candidates for Director-General. Since I launched my campaign almost a year ago, I have held bilateral consultations with the Ministers and Heads of Delegations of 182 WHO Member States and visited many countries, including 22 Member States of the Executive Board. These discussions have significantly shaped the priorities that I will pursue if I am elected Director-General. WHO’s work touches hundreds of millions of lives around the world. Every programme, every initiative, every allocation of funding is so much more than a statistic or line in a budget. It is a life protected. It is a child who gets to see adulthood. It is a parent who watches their child survive and thrive. It is a community living disease free or an entire country or region that is better prepared for emergencies or disasters. This is the difference WHO can make, working hand-in-hand with Member States and global partners. I am a candidate for Director-General of WHO because I believe in the power of this organisation to make a tangible, positive impact. I believe I can lead the WHO to fulfil its potential. I truly believe that together we can create a healthier world.
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The ever-changing world needs a stronger World Health Organization.
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BHUTAN
In my interview with Business Bhutan, I discuss my visits with Minister of Health, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and to a district hospital in Paro.
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NEPAL
During my trip to Nepal, I met with the Foreign Minister, Health Minister, Prime Minister of Nepal and had the opportunity to visit Budhanilkantha Health Post. Read more in my Q&A with The Himalayan Times.
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FIJI
In Fiji, I met with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Health and Medical Services, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services Permanent Secretary and visited the Raiwaqa Primary Health Centre and the Colonial War Memorial Hospital. Read my interview with The Fiji Times about climate change and health issues.
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