Statement by H.E. Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen, Ambassador and the Permanent Representative of
Bangladesh to the United Nations, New York
‘’Meeting the Challenges of the Health MDGs and Beyond: Icddr,b’s Innovative Approach’’,
Monday, 6 May 2013, 1500-1700 hrs. ECOSOC Chamber
Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to welcome you to this special event on “Meeting the Challenges of
the Health MDGs and Beyond: ICDDR,B’s innovative approach”. I am thankful to
the Permanent Mission of Norway to the UN, especially to the PR of Norway, H.E.
Geir O. Pedersen for co-hosting this event with us. I am also thankful to the
International Center for Diarrheal Diseases Research Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) for
their interest and cooperation in organizing this event.
H.E. the Secretary General will join us soon. In the meantime, with your
indulgence, we intend to start the event for saving time. We have with us Dr.
John Clemens, the new Executive Director of the International Center for
Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), Ms. Leith Greenslade, Cochair of the Child Health Pillar in the MDG Health Alliance, and Pulitzer Prize and
the National Book Award Winner Ms. Tina Rosenberg, co-writer of the New York
Times Fixes column. Ms. Tina will be moderating the event later on.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you would recall, the world leaders from 189 nations took a vow here at the
UN in 2000 to free people from extreme poverty and multiple deprivations. This
pledge turned into eight Millennium Development Goals or MDGs. These MDGs
are a set of numerical and time-bound targets to be achieved by 2015, taking
1990 as the base year. The goals, as you all know, are to eradicate extreme
poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender
equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health,
combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental
sustainability and develop a global partnership for development. Out of 8 MDGs,
4, 5 and 6 are directly related to health issues. They also play a cardinal role to
facilitate achieving other MDGs. Therefore, our today’s event not only signifies
our commitment to achieving health MDGs, it also gives us an opportunity to
reflect on other MDGs.
Distinguished colleagues,
More than 12 years have passed since we took the vow or made the promise.
Although our progress has been noteworthy, yet we could not reach our goals as
per expectation. We are yet to see the world free from extreme poverty and
nearly 1.4 billion still live below the poverty level. In other words, we are yet to
achieve our promised targets including in the areas of health MDGs. As World
Health Organization (WHO) reported in May 2012, approximately 800 women die
every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth and there
were 219 million cases of malaria in 2010, of which estimated 660,000 deaths.
According to UNAIDS statistics of 2011, 34.0 million people were living with
HIV/AIDs.
Against this backdrop, we are assembling here. It is a special time as momentum
is building around the last 1000 days or precisely 975 days of action for MDGs.
Global communities are taking stock of progress made so far and articulating their
vision in the context of post-2015 Development Agenda. This event will give us an
opportunity to reflect our collective wisdom towards achieving MDGs particularly
health related ones and their future sustainability.
Distinguished colleagues,
With a modicum of satisfaction, may I report to you that Bangladesh either has
achieved or on track in achieving many MDG goals. For example, MDG-1,
eradication of poverty, Bangladesh has made commendable progress and reduced
it by half. In the base year of 1991, our total population living below poverty line
was 58.8 percent and in 2010, it reduced to 31%. By now its, around 27%. Yet
nearly 41 million people are living below the poverty level. In achieving universal
primary education, our net enrolment stood at 99.7 percent. On gender equality
and empowerment of women, Bangladesh has become a reference point in
recent days in all discussion on this issue. We have an impressive record of gender
equality and women empowerment in all spheres of life. We have achieved it
both in primary and secondary education enrolment. In Secondary level, our
male-female ratio is 47:53. In addition, our top political leadership, for example,
Prime Minister, Speaker of the Parliament, Leader of the Opposition, Deputy
Leader in the Parliament, Foreign Minister, Agricultural Minister- all are women. I
am not sure whether any other country has all three--I mean, Prime Minister,
Leader of the Opposition and the Speaker are all women.
On health related MDGs, particularly in the areas of reducing infant and child
mortality rates, we have already achieved these targets. In maternal mortality
ratio, we have reduced it from 322 per 100,000 live births in 2001 to 194 in 2010,
an average annual reduction of 3.3 percent against MDGs target of 3 percent. I
am confident that we will be able to achieve this MDG target before 2015. In
MDG-6, we are hopeful of achieving it. In spite of resource gap and myriad
constraints and limitation, we could achieve our MDG goals mostly due to
innovative and targeted approaches, committed leadership, unique alliance and
partnership between GO and NGOs, and of course, dynamic people. In addition,
the UN agencies and our development partners also helped us in the process.
Distinguished colleagues,
In post-2015 scenario, while we take stock of the MDG achievements, we are
afraid of sustainability, more so owing to our vulnerability and climate change.
Even for the achieved targets, we will need well calibrated action program for
their sustainability. They have to be complemented by necessary systemic
support both internally and from international community. Unimpeded market
access, technology transfer at affordable price, infrastructure development,
developing knowledge-based economy, ensuring quality education, employment
generation and training, food security, energy security and efficiency, reform of
international financial architecture, reform of free mobility of production inputs
including capital, technology and labor, are among a few that need to be
imparted to the developing world. In this regard, our collective efforts should be
focused on achieving MDG 8, the weakest of all so that we don’t have to revert to
square one, despite political will of the respective governments. South-South and
North partnership is essential for a 'win-win situation' for all.
As I stated earlier, our partnership with Non-governmental entities has made
notable contribution in the process of our MDG achievements. A glaring
example is the ICDDR,B. Since 1978 this institution has been involved for
development of training of professionals in health management especially in
management of diarrheal diseases, reducing infant and child mortality rates
and supporting family planning. Over the years, the relationship between
icddr,b and the government of Bangladesh flourished and evolved into a truly
collaborative nature. This collaboration has translated into effective action for
achieving MDGs 4 and 5. The discovery of icddr,b of zinc supplementation and
Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) for diarrhea treatment and prevention is
phenomenal. These discoveries and correct application of them has saved
millions of people and helped achieving our MDG goals. The lessons learnt
from the successful scale-up of ORS and zinc in Bangladesh are now being
used by the governments and implementing NGOs in 9 other countries
including Haiti, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea and Nepal to help
contain cholera outbreaks with commendable success. In fact, this Institution
has shared its knowledge with the world, training more than 27,000 health
professionals from over 78 countries. It's courses provide practical training in
topics such as hospital management of diarrhoeal diseases, epidemiology,
biostatistics, family planning, demographic surveillance and child survival
strategies. No wonder, its programs are supported by 55 donor countries and
organizations including the Government of Bangladesh, UN specialized
agencies, foundations, universities, research institutes and private sector
organizations and companies that share the Centre’s concern for the health
problems of developing countries and value its proven experience in helping
solve those problems.
While I hope, today's event will open the window for other countries to
benefit from the innovation of icddr,b in achieving their health MDGs, it will
also help icddr,b to have adequate financing and help it to get Global Award,
maybe a Nobel Prize Award for its contribution in saving lives and providing
hope to vulnerable people across nations.
Thank you all.