Making the United Nations Relevant to all People– As delivered –
[Translated from Spanish]
Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly
26 September 2018
Opening of the High-level meeting on the fight to end tuberculosis
Heads of State and Government,
Distinguished Ministers,
Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
And all Member States of the United Nations,
It is an honor to have the opportunity to open this, the first ever High-Level Meeting on the fight to end tuberculosis.
I would like to extend my thanks to Dr. Tedros and the World Health Organization, as well as to the Stop TB Partnership and civil society who have supported preparation of this event and advocated for engagement in the fight against tuberculosis.
I would also like to recognize the Permanent Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda, and Japan, who have served as co-facilitators of the consultations on the outcome document.
Finally, and personally, I would like to thank those of you in the room who work, tirelessly, on the frontlines of this battle. Your commitment and your determination are an inspiration.
Excellencies, allow me to be frank: our progress on tuberculosis has simply not been good enough.
Tuberculosis is preventable, treatable and curable. And yet, this disease claimed 1.6 million lives last year including 300,000 people who lived with HIV. In addition, multidrug-resistant TB remains a public health crisis.
This, my friends, is unacceptable.
In addition to the moral failings of such a mortality rate, the economic losses are staggering. It is estimated that TB could cost the global economy upwards of $1 trillion by 2030.
By investing now we can save lives, reduce suffering and eliminate economic losses. This is our moral and political responsibility.
The political declaration approved at this meeting sets a roadmap for accelerated action in line with the vision and targets for 2030 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the WHO End TB Strategy and the Moscow Declaration to End TB. We must treat 40 million affected people and provide 30 million people with preventive treatment. We must mobilize $13 billion annually by 2022 for implementation and $2 billion for research. It is the moment to turn words into action. We must be accountable for the results and take stock soon, as the political declaration sets out.
Excellencies, we have before us the opportunity for a clear win – a chance to save the lives of millions and to contribute to the success of the Sustainable Development Goals. To reaffirm the efficacy of multilateralism and the relevance of the United Nations.
Let us use this historic opportunity to end the epidemic of tuberculosis once and for all.
Thank you.
Tuberculosis is preventable, treatable and curable. And yet, this disease claimed 1.6 million lives last year including 300,000 people who lived with HIV. In addition, multidrug-resistant TB remains a public health crisis. This, my friends, is unacceptable.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
as we engage in the panel discussions, it is important to keep in focus three key issues:
First, tackling tuberculosis offers us an opportunity to not only advance this cause but to strengthen healthcare systems as a whole. Improved health infrastructure and enhanced coordination across ministries and between governments, civil society and the UN, can help improve community health.
Second, tuberculosis, as with so many other diseases, is not egalitarian in its affliction. Often the poorest, the most vulnerable, and the marginalized are the ones who suffer. This includes women and children, older persons, persons with disabilities, refugees and migrants, as well as indigenous peoples, among others, who sadly tend to fall outside the system.
We must pursue ways to empower those affected and improve their resilience by, for example, implementing policies that promote equitable and affordable access to medicines, vaccines and diagnosis.
And finally, funding and research for TB needs to be dramatically scaled up. There is a gap of nearly $5 billion dollars this year for action and research. Without new tools and financing, we face an even more dangerous future.
