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WHO chief calls for fairness in global health policies

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-16 14:46

UNITED NATIONS -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan Monday urged senior government officials to place "fairness" at the core of decisions to protect the most vulnerable against major worldwide crises.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan speaks during the Forum on Advancing Global Health at UN headquarters in New York, the United States, June 15, 2009. [Xinhua]

Global warming, hikes in fuel and food prices, the economic meltdown and now the A(H1N1)influenza pandemic hit hardest in developing countries, Chan told senior government officials and international experts attending the Secretary-General's Forum on Advancing Global Health.

Full coverage:  A（H1N1）Influenza Outbreak Related readings: WHO: H1N1 flu pandemic now Swine flu alert raised to highest level WHO declares flu pandemic Spike in flu cases triggers WHO declaration Experts: flu peak still to come

There is growing recognition that "blind faith in economic growth and gain as the be-all, end-all, cure-for-all has been misplaced," Chan told the meeting at UN Headquarters in New York.

"Fairness, I believe, is at the heart of our ambitions in global health," said Chan. A failure to put equality at the center of health-care policy decisions is "one reason why the world is in such a great big mess."

Characterizing globalization as a rising tide that lifts "the big boats, but swamps or sinks many smaller ones," Chan said that the financial crisis has "proved highly contagious and this contagion showed no mercy and made no exceptions on the basis of fair play."

Even the level of preparedness for and capacity to cope with the H1N1 influenza outbreak in recent months are strongly biased towards wealthy countries, Chan said.  

"Differences in income, life expectancy, and opportunities are greater now than at any time in recent history," Chan said. "These extremes of privilege and misery are often a precursor for social breakdown."

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