2nd Global Development and Health Communication Forum

A recording of these remarks can be found on YouTube and Tencent

Dr. YANG Bin, Vice President of Tsinghua University,

My brother and friend from the Gates Foundation,

Let me take this opportunity to commend the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the important contributions they are making to human health, human progress, and development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Greetings.

First of all, for me, as the United Nations Resident Coordinator here in China, it is an absolute privilege to be here once again at Tsinghua University, a university which is perhaps amongst the best in class throughout the world. With an illustrious array of alumni, spanning the space of political leadership, public policy, businesses, science, and technology. This is also the school of the current President of China, Xi Jinping.

I want to thank the Center for Global Development and Health Communication at Tsinghua University for the opportunity to speak at the second Global Health Development and Health Communication Forum. It is an honour to participate in this event for the second consecutive year.

On behalf of the United Nations family in China, I congratulate the event organizers for their efforts in highlighting the pivotal role of communication in advancing good health and well-being and supporting the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This year, 2023, especially.

It is a year of hope, resilience, and recovery. We witnessed the world getting out of the impact of COVID-19. We celebrated the reopening of our societies and economies, and the return of some normalcy in our lives.

But it is also a year of uncertainty, hardship, and adaptation. We faced the long-lasting consequences of the pandemic on our health, livelihoods, and well-being. We also confronted the urgent challenges of climate change, inequality, and social unrest. We still need to adjust to the new realities and opportunities of the post-pandemic world.

Furthermore, 2023 is a year of significance in our pursuit of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Let us begin with an unvarnished truth: our journey towards the achievement of the SDGs has encountered impediments.

The scrutiny of statistics tells a tale of progress that lags behind our aspirations, necessitating a revitalized commitment to ensuring equitable prosperity.

To underscore some clear challenges, including SDG 13, which aims to combat climate change and its impacts. The past decade marked the warmest in history, and this warming trend shows no signs of abating.

Annually, approximately 13 million people are lost due to environmental factors. Between 2010-2019, weather-related events displaced an estimated 23.1 million people each year, leaving many more at risk of falling into poverty.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Most of the SDGs were already off track, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Without immediate course correction and a significant acceleration of progress towards the SDGs, our world is set to grapple with ongoing poverty, enduring crises, and mounting uncertainty.

We are troubled by the lingering consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The complex interlinked crises are still pushing our world close to the edge, especially in developing nations and among the most impoverished and the most vulnerable people.

Another goal progressing slowly is SDG 3, Good Health and Well-Being, which is a central theme of today’s forum. For instance, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) claim the lives of 41 million people annually, amounting to 74% of global deaths. Shockingly, 17 million people die from NCDs before the age of 70; 86% of these premature deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

We must recognize that health is both a driver and an outcome of sustainable development, contributing to multiple facets of the 2030 Agenda.

Back in 260 BC, a Greek philosopher called Herophilos said, “When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied”.

Here, ensuring universal health coverage (UHC) is key in ensuring that every person has access to the full spectrum of quality health services they require, when and where they need them, without enduring financial hardship.

However, the latest Global Monitoring Report has unveiled an alarming stagnation in our pursuit of UHC. It is disconcerting to note that, based on the latest available evidence, over half of the world's population lacks access to essential health services.

Furthermore, an astounding 2 billion people continue to grapple with severe financial hardship when trying to access necessary services and products. Inequalities persist between and within countries, and there is unmet need and forgone care.

Getting back on track necessitates the transformation of our health systems, shifting towards a primary health care approach that advances equity in access and financial protection, all while investing in robust health information systems.

In this regard, I take a moment to congratulate China for its vision and commitment to promoting health and well-being for all of its people through the Healthy China 2030 initiative. This vision aligns with the objectives of UHC and the health-related SDGs.

China has also made substantial progress with its UHC service coverage index ranking favourably among countries of the OECD. According to the Global Health Observatory, China's UHC service coverage index score reached an impressive 81 in 2019.

Digital technology must be treated as a global public code, yet, this brings challenges that necessitate robust international cooperation, ensuring accessibility for all by preventing further inequality.

In recognizing this need, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025. The strategy is driven by the vision of improving health for everyone, everywhere, emphasizing the necessity of addressing obstacles faced by less developed countries in adopting digital technologies.

Over the past decades, communications, another focus of the forum, which heavily relies on digital technologies today, have emerged as an important driver of progress toward the SDGs.

Lack of efficient communication of verified scientific information results in a failure to acknowledge imminent threats like NCDs and COVID-19, potentially leading to a rise in preventable fatalities and harm to the overall well-being of the population.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

The COVID-19 pandemic struck us like a bolt of lightning. And in the flash of that lightning, the contours of inequality, of misinformation, and of our own fragility emerged.

We have all experienced it firsthand, the havoc wreaked by misinformation and disinformation during our fight against COVID-19. At every stage of the pandemic, we saw countless rumours and false reports swirling on social media, needlessly fueling panic. This meant health professionals, government officials, and United Nations colleagues worldwide had to go the extra mile to combat this "infodemic fatigue", on top of the already exhausting health challenges.

I wish to take a moment to commend the WHO team, with Gabby Stern sitting here as the Head of Communications from WHO, as I know what they all had to go through over the last three to four years with the persistent level of attacks that were directed at them. Simply unacceptable.

Only through efficient, precise, and results-oriented communication, utilizing all available tools, especially digital, can we make a meaningful impact.

An example of our work on SDG 3 in taking advantage of communication is the successful partnership between Beijing's Municipal Government and the WHO that led to the indoor smoking ban in 2015. Beijing became the first city in China to forbid indoor smoking with its Beijing Smoking Control Ordinance. This achievement, driven by a well-structured digital framework and a strong media campaign, highlights communication's power as a catalyst for change.

Similarly, China's nationwide campaign promoting sustainability and curtailing food waste, namely the “Clean Plate” campaign, resonates with the ideals of SDG 12 and 13, again showcasing the transformative power of effective communication through a combination of high-frequency, well-targeted onsite and online advocacy. Not only can you go to restaurants in China and see posters calling for customers to “clean” their plates by ordering an appropriate amount of food, but you will also find major food delivery platforms sharing reminders online.

All of this shows us the relationship between effective communications and sustainable development.

Ladies and gentlemen.

At the halfway point to the deadline for achieving the SDGs, I’d like to reiterate that the United Nations family here in China stands ready to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders, for more inclusive, networked and effective multilateralism.

We aim to fulfil the vision of the 2030 Agenda and work closely with our host government, the People’s Republic of China, academia such as Tsinghua University, and other partners to take further steps to accelerate global progress towards achieving the SDGs.

In this context, we aim to continue nurturing our collaboration with the media and leverage the potential of digital and social platforms, especially engaging and interacting with the younger generation.

In conclusion, I draw inspiration from the words of our UN Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, who said, "Communication is not an afterthought. It is central to the success of all of the UN's works."

With these words, we emphasize the pivotal role of effective communication in our shared endeavours. Our mission calls on us all to communicate with precision, bridge barriers, and promote mutual understanding.

I look forward to the discussions ahead, and I wish you all a great conference here today.

Thank you very much.