Ráðherra á haustþingi Evrópudeildar Alþjóðaheilbrigðismálastofnunarinnar
Ræða Jóns Kristjánssonar, heilbrigðis- og tryggingamálaráðherra
á haustþingi Evrópudeildar WHO í Kaupmannahöfn, 2002
18.09.2002
Statement at the Fifty-second session of the WHO
Regional Committee for Europe,
Copenhagen, 16 - 19 September 2002
Regional Committee for Europe,
Copenhagen, 16 - 19 September 2002
Mr. President, Madam Director General, Regional Director, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen!
For decades the Regional Office has through experts and guidance of plans and programs been of great assistance to us. Therefore, we think it is important that WHO Europe continues to lay emphasis on promoting the best practices of health care in the Region by providing data, information, analysis and other comparative documents.
By the end of last month we were surprised to learn that Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland would not be a candidate for the Director-General of WHO, for the period 2003–2008. It cannot be denied that we would have liked her to continue for another term, but I would like to use this opportunity to thank Dr. Brundtland for her extremely valuable contribution in bringing health more firmly on the international agenda. Her initiatives in various fields of health will without doubt prosper far beyond her term as Director-General of WHO.
Dr. Brundtland took the initiative to the report by the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, which was introduced last year and discussed at the last World Health Assembly. In our view the report is a document that breaks new ground in providing data that strongly links investments in the health sector to economic growth and poverty reduction.
We have noticed with interest that the Regional Director has in a report to the Regional Committee on Poverty and Health in the Region presented in the findings of 12 case studies. The health indicators in this report clearly show the increasing gap in health status between countries in the European Region. It is evident that this situation calls for more comprehensive health policies and more forceful actions to deal with determinants of health.
The HIV/AIDS situation continues to be a major health threat in Eastern Europe, and even in Western Europe there is evidence of recently increasing rates of HIV infection. Therefore it is important to provide more technical support for countries in need. Keeping in mind that it is both important to prevent people from being infected, and give HIV-affected individuals access to care.
In our national health plan to year to the year 2010 one of our priorities is to reduce smoking considerably. Although we have seen a general reduction in smoking during the last years there are still negative trends in smoking prevalence among young people and women. We are confident that many of the measures defined and listed in the European strategy for tobacco control will help us in reaching our goals before the end of this decade.
Mr. President, finally I would like to assure you of our support of the important work carried out by the Regional Committee.
Thank you, Mr. President."