Mr Chen Xiaohong, Vice Minister of Health, Mr Cai Qi, Mayor, Hangzhou
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good morning.
It is my honour to address this first ever international mayors' forum on healthy cities, organised by the Government of China.
On behalf of the World Health Organization, I would like to welcome all the participants from healthy cities, districts, and townships in China, Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, and the Philippines. I would like to thank the Ministry of Health for inviting me and Hangzhou authorities for hosting this event.
As those of us here certainly know, urban centres are facing changes in the physical and social determinants of health.
With rapid urbanization, water, air and noise pollution are a major problem in cities in this region. Workplace and traffic accidents cause injuries and deaths among city dwellers.
These social and environmental challenges are compounded by on-going demographic changes. In many cities the urban population is ageing while the number of newborn children is decreasing. These changes in demography will leave older people and young children more vulnerable to social problems and environmental hazards. This is especially so in low-income urban communities.
Add to this the effects of globalisation. The increased ease with which people travel brings heightened threats of global epidemics of infectious diseases such as SARS and influenza. Our food is also travelling greater distances from farm to fork, even crossing international borders to reach us. This change brings with it concerns for food safety, as illustrated by the recent example of melamine contamination of milk products in China that caused concern in countries around the world. These issues are not only a concern for central government policy planners, but for cities as well, because densely populated cities are the gateways to the distribution of imported food and international travellers, and therefore highly vulnerable to these risks.
Effectively addressing this wide range of health issues has become complex. The solutions require not only the improvement of the health sector's services, but also changes in the way that the health sector works with other sectors, the community and individuals. I would add that it increases our need to communicate with each other as well.
The Healthy Cities approach is one part of the solution. About 20 years ago, Australia, Japan and New Zealand began developing their Healthy Cities activities, learning from experiences in Europe and North America.
Following regional consultations, Macao, Hong Kong and a number of cities in other countries such as the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, and the Republic of Korea also embarked on a Healthy Cities approach.
China launched its version in 1989 when the National Hygienic Cities programme was implemented under the guidance of the National Patriotic Health Campaign Committee. Hygienic Cities have adopted the Healthy Cities concepts. Last year, a national initiative of healthy cities/districts/townships began in Hangzhou and five other cities, two districts and two townships.
The Healthy Cities approach is important for countries like China that are experiencing rapid socio-economic changes and corresponding transformations in urban and rural areas. The greatest urban migration is history has provided Chinese people with opportunities for employment, education and socio-economic development, but has also brought about health problems that need to be addressed.
The healthy cities approach provides a rapid vehicle to achieve essential public health outcomes because it targets concepts at the core of public health, such as the importance of a healthy diet, food safety, healthy environments, physical exercise, the prevention of hypertension, tobacco control, and caring for older people and children.
But political commitment is an essential condition to start and continue a successful Healthy Cities programme. The programme's sustainability may be lost if it is not institutionalized within technical organizations.
In particular, freedom from second hand smoke is crucial. A key task for public health officials in healthy cities is to ensure that regulations to increase smoke free public places are properly implemented. Time and again, these steps have been shown to benefit smokers and non-smokers alike. We hope that the regulations brought in prior to the Olympics will become institutionalised and part of the legacy of the Games in China.
Furthermore, effective city-wide, national and international coordination mechanisms are needed to stimulate the sharing of good practices and innovative ideas among Healthy Cities. This is why meetings such as this one are so important.
Hangzhou and other cities represented here today will continue to be sources of ideas, creativity and technology. Novel social, environmental and demographic transformations are being achieved in cities throughout China, and these experiences need to be more widely shared. Chinese cities can also continue to learn from others' experiences. Let us capitalize on the variety of health improvement strategies presented during this event.
Congratulations to the Ministry of Health for organizing this forum and congratulations to all of you for the achievements of your Healthy Cities initiatives.
I thank you for giving me the opportunity to address you, and I wish the forum success.