Honorable Minister, Regional Director, distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I was delighted to receive and be able to accept the invitation of your Minister of Health to visit Moldova, extended to me during her participation at the 66th session of the Regional Committee for Europe in September this year.

As Patron of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, I am committed, along with many others, to helping improve the health and well-being of the 900 million people in the European Region with particular focus on disadvantaged populations and those with limited access to basic health services.

The European Policy for health and well-being, Health 2020, seeks to reduce health inequalities and build participatory governance for health. Similarly, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - a plan for people, planet and prosperity - seeks to ensure that ‘no one is left behind’.

Through my work with WHO, I hope to generate greater public awareness about key health priorities in the Region and highlight the need for equitable and quality service delivery following the best practices and evidence available in the Region and worldwide. Mother and child care, immunization, and addressing the global threat of antimicrobial resistance, are areas that I am particularly focused on.

All children should have every opportunity to grow up healthy, benefitting from the best perinatal care available, while mothers enjoy safe pregnancy, skilled care at birth and post-natal care. The health sector plays a vital role in tackling health inequalities; and health system strengthening is essential in overcoming system barriers, especially for those most in need.

Immunization saves lives. Apart from safe drinking water, no other health intervention has reduced diseases and mortality as effectively and safely as vaccination. No child should suffer from illness, lifelong disability or die due to vaccine-preventable diseases. Every child has the right to be immunized.

Fortunately, over 90% of the children in the European Region are immunized. However, discrepancies in population groups still persist and increasing numbers of children are not being vaccinated. Many healthcare professionals and parents have no first-hand experience of vaccine-preventable illnesses, building complacency about the dangers of measles, diphtheria, pertussis or polio.

The great paradox is that immunization risks becoming “a victim of its own success” - as the incidences of these diseases decline thanks to immunization, it leaves a weakened fear and knowledge of them and as a result, immunization rates fall.  Continued advocacy and effective communication on the necessity of immunization remains crucial.

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global problem, and unless urgent, timely action is taken, it may bring us back to a pre-antibiotic era. The emergence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and extensively drug resistant tuberculosis, for example, especially in this part of Europe, is a chilling wake-up call. Countries must unite their efforts for enhanced surveillance and control over antimicrobial resistance, regionally and globally.

Stringent rules must be applied to ensure that antibiotics are only prescribed when needed.  People also need to learn how to use antimicrobials responsibly. These important points were highlighted during the second World Antibiotic Awareness Week last week, with the overarching theme, “handle with care”.

Before I close, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the contribution made by the WHO Regional Office for Europe in providing support to Member States in adopting sound policies, strategies and action plans in each of these three important areas.

Together we can build a society where “No One is Left Behind” and where the highest attainable standard of health is enjoyed by all, at all life stages. You are part of the ambitious health reform being undertaken in your country, reforms that will benefit the health of current and future generations

I wish you great success in your endeavors.

Thank you!