WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC BUREAU R~GIONAL OU PACIFIQUE OCCIDENTAL
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ORGANISATION MONOIALE DE LA SANTE
REGIONAL COMMITTEE Thirty-eighth session Beijing 8~14 September 1987
WPR/RC38/DIV/4 8 September 1987 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
SPEECH BY HONORABLE PROFESSOR CHEN MINZHANG MINISTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA to the THIRTY-EIGHTH SESSION OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC Beijing, 8-14 September 1987
Mr Chairman, Dr Hiroshi and Gentlemen,
Nakajima, Vice-Premier Wan Li, Ladies
Thanks to the vigorous support given by all parties , concerned, the thirty-eighth session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific is officially inaugurated today in Beijing. This is the first time that a session of the WHO Regional Committee has been held in this country. First of all, please allow me, on behalf of the Ministry of Public Health of the People's Republic of China, to extend my most cordial greetings and a warmest welcome to all guests attending the meeting. The World Health Organization has all along devoted itself to the health of mankind and has done a lot of work in this regard. Particularly following the Thirty-second World Health Assembly, at which the strategic goal of health for all by the year 2000 was put forward, the health services in the world, especially in the developing countries, have been further promoted. Since the resumption of its participation in WHO's activities in 1972, China has established close friendly relations of cooperation with WHO and its Regional Office for the Western Pacific and has developed friendly intercourse, exchange of experiences and technical cooperation with various Hember States. China is a developing country with a large population and an underdeveloped economy, and its health services are in urgent need of further development. In the recent 8 years, facilitated by the reform conducted in the health sector, the health services in China have developed considerably. The three-level medical and prevantive networks in urban and rural areas have been further consolidated. Universal coverage by primary health care has rapidly raised the
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health level of our people, with life expectancy reaching 69 years, the maternal mortality rate decreasing to 5/10 000 and the infant mortality rate to 14.3/1000 in urban areas and 27.3/1000 in rural areas. With assistance given by WHO and UNICEF, the cold-chain system covers over half of the country and planned immunization for children is guaranteed. As a result, the incidence of infectious diseases has decreased rapidly; the morbidity rate for measles, diphtheria and pertussis has been reduced by 40%-50% compared with the lowest rate recorded, in 1985. At present, our country is making vigorous efforts to attain the strategic goal of health for all by the year 2000 put forward by WHO. China has something in common with most Member States of the Region in its economy and health services. We are glad to note that our health policy and practice in primary health care have brought us great attention from WHO and its Member States in the Western Pacific Region. At the same time the experiences of other Member States of the Region can also be made use of by our country to facilitate the development of our health services. We are willing to further strengthen our cooperation with WHO, especially the Regional Office and other Member States, so as to work together to make great contributions to the attainment of the strategic goal of health for all and to the health of mankind. The convening of the thirty-eighth session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in our country today will promote and facilitate the development of health services. This meeting has provided us with an excellent opportunity to learn the achievements and experiences of other Member States in the development of health services. At the same time, it has also provided us with an opportunity to promote the friendly relations of cooperation between China and WHO and other Member States in the Region. Here I wish to express, on behalf of the Ministry of Public Health of the People's Republic of China, my heartfelt thanks to the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific and Member States and extend once again my greetings to the meeting. It is my conviction that with the efforts of all the staff of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific and the close cooperation of all Member States, the meeting will certainly play its due role in the development of health services in the Region and will make substantial progress in the debate of relevant subjects. Finally, I wish the complete success of the meeting.