Plenary Statement For the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health
Speech
"Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development"
World Health Assembly
Geneva, Switzerland
May 23, 2016
President, Dr. Chan, Honourable Ministers, distinguished delegates, good afternoon.
Canada is pleased to take part in this 69th session of the World Health Assembly, a unique occasion for citizens and countries from around the world to come together to improve global health.
I am honoured to be addressing the Assembly for the first time. I became Canada's Minister of Health just over 6 months ago, in the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
As many of you know, Canada has long championed the principle that healthcare should be provided to all citizens based on need, and not the ability to pay.
Our hospitals are among the finest and most efficient in the world.
Care is provided by some of the best health professionals in the world - doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals.
And we have world-class health researchers, including pioneers in cutting-edge areas as diverse as vaccine development and genomics.
I'm a medical doctor myself and I spent the first decade of my medical career in Niger Republic, West Africa.
Then, for 17 years, I worked as a family doctor in the Canadian healthcare system, including 6 years of chief of family medicine at my local hospital.
Clinical experience has been invaluable to me in my role as health minister.
But like all healthcare providers, I quickly learned that it takes more than medicine to make people healthy.
It takes clean water. Safe housing.
A basic education. Economic opportunities.
Freedom from violence and conflict.
These are the social determinants of health. They are the responsibility of not just health ministers, but of the whole of government. And they must be addressed by any country that seeks to meet its sustainable development goals.
Without fair access to these upstream drivers of health, we will continue to face inequity, regional disparities and vulnerable populations - even in a country as affluent as ours.
In Canada, for example, we are confronted with undeniable gaps in health and mental health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.
The gaps are striking if one compares rates of suicide, addiction, infectious diseases, and chronic diseases.
Canada is determined to address these health gaps. Solutions need to be both urgently implemented & ultimately sustainable.
To that end, our most recent budget included unprecedented investments to close the gaps in education & living standards between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous Canadians.
This is a demonstration of our commitment to get at the root of health inequities--by addressing health infrastructure, ensuring clean drinking water and wastewater systems, improving education and investing in programs that support early learning and child care.
But our commitment to health equity and social justice extends beyond our borders. In Canada, we believe that poor health anywhere is a threat to wellness everywhere. Thus, we acknowledge an obligation to do our part in the world. Permit me to list a few of the ways we demonstrate that duty.
I will begin with one of our most significant accomplishments. This year we extended our tradition of welcoming displaced people from all over the world. To date, we have brought 28,000 Syrian refugees to rebuild their lives in Canada.
We will also work with G7 partners to help countries meet International Health Regulations -- to strengthen their health systems and capacities to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats.
Canada has joined other countries in co-sponsoring the UN Security Council resolution on the protection of medical missions. Together, we are sending the message that attacks against humanitarian personnel and facilities cannot, and will not, be tolerated.
Canada is determined to support the implementation and achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
In September, we will host the Fifth Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and have increased our pledge by 20%, to end these epidemics for good by 2030.
In that spirit of global collaboration, our Canadian delegation is delighted to join you at this World Health Assembly. We look forward to continued work with you to address the determinants of health, strengthen health systems, and, ultimately, build a future of health for all.
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