The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies welcomes the opportunity to bring the experience of millions of volunteers working around the world to improve the health of vulnerable people, to this World Health Assembly.
The contribution of the Red Cross Red Crescent Societies to health objectives is very well known, both nationally and internationally. It is, however, important to bring this understanding to a new level so that cooperation opportunities can be maximised, for the benefit of vulnerable people everywhere in the world.
This is one of the main reasons for the decision by the WHO and the International Federation that we should lay a new institutional base for our work together.
That base is the Cooperation letter signed on the 11th of May, 2005 by Secretary-General of the International Federation and the Director General of the World Health Organization.
The letter will be brought to the attention of all National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and all Ministries of Health. I will not describe its operational content now, but do wish to underline its message that:
"The basis of cooperation between International Federation and WHO is their complementary approach to vulnerability to diseases as a major cause of poverty, just a poverty itself is a major contributor to vulnerability to disease. Threats to public health compromise the productivity and productive potential of individuals, communities and entire nations".
The letter also shows clearly the breadth of our international cooperation and hence of the cooperation which can be envisaged at the national level, in addition to programmes which may already be in place:
"The International Federation and WHO will work together towards achieving the over-arching Millennium Development Goals. Both organizations also share the important objective to reduce the avoidable loss of life, burden of disease and disability in crises.
The two organizations already work together in a number of inter-agency settings towards these objectives, taking account especially of the International Federation's Strategy 2010, WHO's "3 by 5" goals and the Three Year Performance Improvement Programme of the Department of Health Action in Crises.
The cooperation will build upon existing collaboration in such areas as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as well as Hygiene Promotion, Water & Sanitation First Aid, Blood Safety, Road Safety and other work in emergency, recovery, and disaster prevention situations".
President, Our joint letter with WHO is of great importance to the International Federation and its National Societies. It is important, however, to note that our approach to cooperation and partnership is to build strategic alliances and partnerships wherever we see these as bringing advantage to our work for and with the vulnerable.
Lessons learned through Red Cross participation in the Boards of Directors of GAVI, and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have convinced us that public-private partnership can lead to further progress but only if properly resourced and supported.
Only public health interventions that successfully mobilize civil society will bring sustainable public health improvements.
We are pleased that there is more and more acknowledgement from governments and international organisations of the importance of mobilizing civil society and the communities around it.
We recognise that we as the International Federation have a responsibility to assist through the willing support of our Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
It is our hope that the joint letter will make this a more efficient and better-directed contribution to mobilisation efforts.
Each of our National Societies, with its commitment to community mobilisation, and their place as auxiliaries to the public authorities in the humanitarian field, have much to offer, especially in terms of their large volunteer network, the respect for their emblems, and most importantly the proven ability to mobilize the power of humanity and bring additional resources to the community level.
President, The International Federation congratulates WHO for making the maternal and child health the focus of the last World Health Day on 7th of April 2005, and the World health report -also dedicated to maternal and child health- by highlighting an invisible health crisis.
In developing countries, pregnancy and childbirth is one of the leading causes of death for women of reproductive age, and one child in 12 does not reach his or her fifth birthday. Yet, the fate of these women and children is too often overlooked or ignored.
In April 2005, the International Federation's Health and Community Services Commission endorsed a maternal and child health guidance notes for National Societies so that they can better contribute to the global health agenda and the Millennium Development Goals.
This is another example of how closely we intend to work to fulfil our shared objectives. It follows an equally valuable shared experience in 2004 following the WHO's adoption of road safety as its WHD theme.
President, we see our work together as likely to expand considerably in the future, especially as Ministries of Health and National Societies expand their own collaboration.
This is already an element in our own internal thinking in the International Federation as we prepare for discussions in our own General Assembly in November this year.
At that meeting, our National Societies will hold an important decision-making debate on the theme of the "Federation of the Future". It is clear that health questions will have a very prominent place in this debate. There will also, of course, be other health-related thematic debates, including on partnerships to reduce the vulnerability to disease caused by discriminatory policy environments.
This and the other health issues on our agenda will all be inspired by the debates now being held at this 58th World Health Assembly.
That, together with the active partnering which will be further enhanced by our joint letter, suggests that our organisations are at the beginning of a new era in collaboration, for the benefit of human dignity in some of its most basic senses.