WHO Director-General's remarks at the seventy-second session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific – 25 October 2021

Your Excellency Hiroshi Yamamoto, State Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, and Chair of the 72^nd Regional Committee,

Honourable ministers and heads of delegation,

My brother, Dr Takeshi Kasai, Regional Director for the Western Pacific,

Dear colleagues and friends,

Good morning to all of you, and I'm sorry that I can't be with you in person.

My thanks to Japan for hosting this year's Regional Committee, and my congratulations on a very successful Olympic and Paralympic Games.

I was honoured to be in Tokyo in July for the opening of the Olympics, and to address the International Olympic Committee.

I said then that I am often asked a simple question: when will the pandemic end?

My answer is equally simple: the pandemic will end when the world chooses to end it. It's in our hands.

We have all the tools we need: effective public health tools; and effective medical tools.

Unlike so many other health challenges, we can prevent this disease, we can test for it, and we can treat it.

But those tools have not been shared equitably.

The pandemic is far from over. Complacency is now as dangerous as the virus. Now is the time to be on heightened alert, not to let down your guard.

I'm very pleased to see that cases and deaths from COVID-19 in your region have now declined significantly from the devastating peak in August, although I know some countries are still facing a very serious situation.

Almost two-thirds of people in your region are now fully vaccinated - the most of any region - although I know that there are wide discrepancies between countries, and within countries.

I very much appreciate Dr Kasai's focus on ensuring health workers, older people and other at-risk groups are prioritised for vaccination.

WHO's global targets are to support every country to vaccinate at least 40% of its population by the end of this year, and 70% by the middle of next year.

Half of Member States in the WPRO region have already reached the 40% target, and WHO is committed to supporting the other half to get there too.

WHO and our partners are doing everything we can to find ways of scaling up the production and distribution of vaccines as much as possible, and as fast as possible.

Almost 56 million doses have now been distributed to 21 WPRO countries through COVAX, and we're pleased to see that COVAX is picking up speed.

Between now and the end of the year, COVAX aims to deliver more than 150 million doses to WPRO countries.

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Even while we respond to the pandemic, we must learn the lessons it is teaching us.

As you know, there have been several reports and reviews of the global response to COVID-19, and of WHO's performance.

As we have studied these reports, we have identified four key areas for action.

First, we need better global governance that is inclusive, equitable and accountable.

The current global health security architecture is complex and fragmented, and voluntary mechanisms have not led to the coordinated and coherent global approach we need in the face of a global threat.

New governance mechanisms are needed, supported by high-level political engagement and legally-binding instruments that are inclusive and accountable.

We believe an international agreement on pandemic preparedness and response will provide a much-needed overarching framework for global cooperation, setting the rules of the game, and enhancing solidarity among nations.

We seek the support of all WPRO Member States for this very important initiative as we approach the Special Session of the World Health Assembly next month.

Second, we need more and better financing for national and global preparedness and response.

Cycles of panic and neglect have created a financing ecosystem that is insufficient, inefficient and inequitable.

We need a substantial increase in domestic investment, including in primary health care, and in international financing to support low- and lower-middle income countries.

Crucially, we believe any financing facilities must be built using existing financial institutions, rather than creating new ones that further fragment the global health architecture.

Third, we need better systems and tools, across the One Health spectrum.

Already, WHO has taken steps to start building some of those tools, including the new Hub for Epidemic and Pandemic Intelligence in Berlin.

Other initiatives are in development, including the WHO BioHub, a new facility for storing and sharing pathogens, and the Universal Health and Preparedness Review, a new peer-review mechanism for enhancing national preparedness, modelled on the Universal Periodic Review used by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

And fourth, we need a strengthened, empowered and sustainably financed WHO at the centre of the global health architecture.

With 194 Member States and 152 country offices, WHO has a unique global mandate, unique global reach and unique global legitimacy.

But over several decades, it has been progressively weakened by a debilitating imbalance between assessed and voluntary, earmarked contributions that distort our budget and constrain our ability to deliver what our Member States expect of us.

Redressing this imbalance is critical if WHO is to be the independent and authoritative institution the world needs it to be.

We urge all Member States to support and invest in strengthening your WHO, rather than creating new structures that may only lead to more fragmentation.

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Excellencies,

As always, your agenda this week reflects the wide range of challenges you face as a region, including school health, TB, traditional and complementary medicine, and primary health care.

WHO remains committed to supporting each of your countries to respond to the pandemic, and to build forward better, in line with the General Programme of Work, and the Region's "For the Future" vision.

I would like to leave you with three specific requests:

First, we seek your commitment to stay the course with the proven public health and social measures that we know work, in combination with equitable vaccination.

Second, we seek your support for the idea of an international agreement on pandemic preparedness and response.

And third, we seek your support for building a stronger WHO that is empowered and financed sustainably.

Thank you all once again for your hard work and support for WHO at this critical time.

And we look forward to your continued support as we work together to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.

I thank you.

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