Statement read on January 30th during the World Health Organization (WHO) 136th Executive Board Meeting.
IFMSA is currently represented at WHO EB136 by a delegation of 4 members: Pedro Miranda (LO-WHO), Agostinho Sousa (President), Claudel P-Desrosiers (VPE) and Ivan Seah (General Delegate).
Agenda Item 7.1 – Monitoring of the achievement of the health/related Millennium Development Goals
Honorable Chair,
Honorable Members of the Executive Board,
IFMSA, the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, strongly appreciates that MDGs have been put on the top agenda of the WHO work. We also acknowledge momentum generated by the MDGs in tackling global development challenges and the hard work by some member states towards achieving the goals despite significant obstacles. Yet, much remains to be done.
IFMSA deplores that progress has been unequal between countries and between disadvantaged socioeconomic groups within countries. We are surprised to note the absence of any reporting on MDG 7 on environment – we all know how environment is deeply interlinked with health.
Moving forward, the inclusion of social determinants of health and the recognition of the human right to health has now to be a priority both of WHO and all member states here present. As Marthin Luther King once said, “off all forms of injustice, inequity in access to health is the most inhumane”.
IFMSA urges each health minister or representative in this room, to engage with their own ministry of foreign affairs, as to ensure a successful and meaningful disclosure to one of the biggest advocacy processes that took place in recent history.
We would like to stress the utmost importance of working into the implementation of these goals and of their follow-up in a post-2015 framework; to call upon member states to actively pursue monitoring strategies that, in an accountable way, ensure we all strive towards the world’s development.
Let us all commit to, and feel accountable for, the execution of a project with which I’m sure that each, and every, person in this room has been involved in.
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