Geneva, 22 May 2017 (PAHO/WHO) - During a side event at the 70th World Health Assembly, Venezuela and numerous other countries agreed to maximize opportunities for making rapid advances on the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda - in particular SDG3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages).

Organized by the delegations of Bangladesh, Iran, Thailand and Venezuela, the session highlighted three key and interrelated challenges of achieving the SDGs: poverty reduction, social injustice and environmental protection. The delegations agreed that the ambitious targets of the SDGs cannot be achieved without cost-effective and evidence-based governance strategies that ensure the strong inclusion of civil society, the private sector, academia, media and other groups in needed policymaking that places people at the center.

 

The Venezuela Vice-Minister of Health, Edgar Rivera, cited his country's example of recognizing universal health as an essential human right, with the strong cooperation of local institutions for addressing health priorities and achieving intersectoral work on the SDGs.

"The WHO should play a leading role in collaborating with governments and civil society to expand health in sustainable development," Rivera added. "National programmes and policies must be compatible with the SDGs, both for the benefit of local people, and for strengthening global efforts."

WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan called on countries to implement the SDGs by collaborating across all sectors, and with non-state actors, "to make sure that no one is left behind."

"Now is action time on the SDGs - implementation -- and most important are the 5 Ps - people, planet, peace, prosperity and partnership," Chan said. She called on delegations to strengthen health services, ensure equity and human rights, achieve sustainable health financing, and engage in health research, innovation, monitoring and evaluation for achieving the SDG vision of a more just, safe, and healthy world by 2030.