| Ladies and
Gentlemen:
Welcome to this important and very significant occasion.
We have just seen the terrible consequences of malaria to millions of people
around the world, and the need for us to work as a global community to address
these issues.
We cannot face a mother whose child has just died of malaria and tell her:
"I am sorry; your child has died as a result of market failure" or,
"your child has died because the public sector is not able to take
action". We must do better than that, and that is why we are all here
today.
Malaria is only one of many serious infectious diseases that burden the poor.
Yet, when I travelled widely in advance of my nomination as Director-General at
WHO, malaria was raised time and time again as a key issue both to improved
health and to development. I established Roll Back Malaria as a special project
as one of my first acts as Director-general.
Roll Back Malaria addresses issues ranging from appropriate research to
strengthening healthcare capacity at regional, country and community level. Our
aim is to cut the number of deaths by malaria by half by the end of the first
decade of the next century. MMV is an integral and important part of this work.
This launch clearly demonstrates that not only do the traditional public
sector agencies have an interest in addressing public health issues. Industry
has an interest as well. We are all members of the global community, and it is
natural that we all would like to help where we can. Through the work that has
led up to this launch, it has transpired that more than enlightened self
interest has driven the industry’s motivation. The goodwill shown by all
parties to this venture has been and continues to be a real inspiration.
However, having a desire to assist and translating that into effective action
are two different things. If businesses, whose main role in life is to serve
shareholders in a competitive environment, are to engage in ventures such as MMV,
they have to be sure that they are not going to be asked to take on a role that
conflicts with their core interests. They also must be confident that any
project they enter into will be well managed and have a strong chance of
delivering on its goal.
For their part, the public sector needs to be sure that if it invests in
business-associated ventures, these investments will in fact serve the public
interest goals that have been set.
We owe it to the populations that suffer from malaria to improve access to
drugs and the quality of drugs. In this context, MMV is much more than a
scientific venture: it is a direct attack on poverty and the disparities between
rich and poor.
It is also a contribution to economic development. Healthy people are more
able to work themselves out of poverty and to generate the activities that
promote the human and economic development that ultimately will enrich us all.
We owe it to the millions who suffer from malaria to make MMV a success. I am
confident it will be. Let us all who are here today do our part to bring about
that success.
Thank you. |
