Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the opening ceremony of the 61st session of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe

- Dear ladies and gentlemen!

Dear guests! Distinguished general director!

Let me salute you all and welcome to our country! The fact that a session of the Regional Committee for Europe of the World Health Organization is being held in Azerbaijan is a very important and significant event for our country. I am very pleased that representatives of the European continent are our guests today. I am sure that the session will be successful. At the same time, guests will see our country and city.

We are very pleased that the collaboration between the World Health Organization and Azerbaijan is developing very successfully and rapidly. The Organization’s recommendations and advice are very valuable for us and for the healthcare reforms under way in Azerbaijan. I want to specifically welcome the general director of the World Health Organization, Mrs. Margaret Chan. Mrs. Chan is our friend, a friend of our country. This is not her first visit to Azerbaijan. Every time she is in Azerbaijan to hold discussions we see that the World Health Organization is led a very decent person. The general director has made a lot of effort to promote the authority of the organization in recent years.

Healthcare issues receive great attention in Azerbaijan. Information on the subject will probably be provided in the course of today’s discussions. I can say that our state and government are paying a lot of attention to social issues. Suffice it to provide a few figures to see that our policy in this area is indeed very precise and positive. Over the past five years our budget allocations for health issues have increased more than eight times. This in itself shows that it is our priority. Our state is committed to making every effort to ensure the health of its citizens. In recent years we have taken specific steps to strengthen the material and technical infrastructure of the healthcare system. Because, as you know, the economic situation in Azerbaijan in the early years of independence was very difficult, there was crisis, our financial resources were very limited, while the health facilities established in previous years had become dilapidated. We wanted very much to achieve a breakthrough in the shortest possible time. The health facilities built and reconstructed in Azerbaijan over the past few years reflect the realities of the present-day Azerbaijan. Over 400 health facilities have been built or renovated in Azerbaijan in recent years. Among these I would like to point to the Cancer Center established in Baku in recent years, which is of particular importance. At the same time, very modern Ophthalmological Center, the Urology Center, the Thalassemia Center, the Scientific Surgical Center have been built. Perinatal centers are being set up in our country. Hospitals are built and renovated in practically all our cities. Treatment and diagnostic centers meeting the latest standards and operating hemodialysis facilities have been built in 14 cities. I want to emphasize that public health facilities provide services free of charge.

At the same time, we have spent significant resources in recent years to purchase modern equipment. I believe that the positive dynamics observed in the healthcare system has been possible thanks to the strengthening of the material and technical infrastructure.

At the same time, the ongoing healthcare reforms, the application of the most advanced practices in Azerbaijan, the international relations, the attention being paid to the professional development of our doctors, the training of Azerbaijani doctors in foreign clinics – I think all of these issues have brought about a dramatic turn in the healthcare system. And, of course, the result of this work is people’s health. The positive dynamics in this sphere shows that life expectancy has increased, while infant and maternal mortality have dropped in recent years. We must preserve this positive momentum so that all the health issues planned for the future are resolved. We have many plans. Currently, new and modern health facilities are under construction in several our cities, including Baku. I can say that thanks to them the material and technical infrastructure of Azerbaijan’s healthcare system will be fully renewed.

Along with this, we in Azerbaijan are paying great attention to other issues that contribute to human health. First of all, our country has taken specific steps to improve the environmental situation. You know perfectly well that the environment can have great influence on human health – both positive and negative. Last year was announced the Year of the Environment in Azerbaijan. Major steps have been taken. Over 10 million trees were planted in our country in the course of 18 months. The improving environmental situation has a direct impact on human health. Currently, major water-supply projects are under way throughout our country. Unfortunately, the problem of water has always been very acute in Azerbaijan. To resolve this problem, we are taking specific steps, and by 2013 the water supplied to our population should meet the World Health Organization’s requirements. This a criterion, and we will strive to achieve these goals.

These projects require significant resources. But the Azerbaijani government is allocating these funds. At the same time, international organizations have also helped us with loans. I am absolutely sure that thanks to the drinking water and sanitation projects, these factors will also have a very positive impact on human health.

One of the factors contributing to human health is sport. Azerbaijan is doing a lot in this area. More than 30 Olympic sports centers and sports grounds have been built in our country in recent years. In general, our country has excellent conditions for doing sports and physical training. By attracting young people to sports, we pursue several goals. First of all, they become healthier. Besides, we must keep the youth away from bad habits. Azerbaijan has a rigorous campaign against drug addiction. The State Program “Azerbaijani youth in 2011-2015” has recently been adopted. Healthy young people will help reduce health problems in the future. People should look after their health from their childhood, from adolescence.

In my speeches on health issues I always stress that everyone should undergo medical checkups once a year.

Unfortunately, we did not have such practices in the past. I believe that along with all the work in this area we also need to significantly improve awareness activities. People should know that if they undergo checkups at least once a year, it will be easier to identify the disease. If we consider that there are possibilities for the treatment of any disease in Azerbaijan, the disease can be quickly treated. Of course, the experience of the World Health Organization in this issue is very valuable and important to us. The experience of the Regional Committee for Europe is also very important, because Azerbaijan is generally very closely connected to Europe. A number of programs are being implemented. Our relations with the European Union are expanding. Azerbaijan is a member of the Eastern Partnership program. The main reason for our accession to this program is that Azerbaijan wants to apply the best practices of European countries, get closer to European standards and bring the situation in any area into line with European standards. Therefore, the debate on these issues during this session is very important to us.

In addition to resolving social issues, our country is conducting profound economic reforms. If these economic reforms had failed, then most likely it would be difficult to deal with the issues I have identified. In recent years, Azerbaijan has achieved great successes in the economic sphere. Over the past seven years our economy has grown at the highest rate in the world. Over the past seven years our gross domestic product rose almost three-fold, or by nearly 300 per cent. This is a unique indicator worldwide. Along with this, the problem of poverty inherent in our country in the past is being eliminated. In the past seven years the percentage of those living in poverty has dropped from 49 to nine per cent. This too, I believe, is the best development indicator in the world. Of course, the opportunities of someone emerging from poverty are expanding, the financial well-being is improving, and these people can take a good care of their health.

The destitute families are receiving state support in Azerbaijan. A total of 125,000 families living in poor conditions are receiving targeted social assistance from the state. Despite the global financial and economic crisis, not a single social program has been amended in Azerbaijan. There have been no cases of lagging behind or delays. On the contrary, pensions in Azerbaijan have been raised by an average of 40 per cent this year. For a generation of the elderly people this is a direct contribution to their health. Because unfortunately the elderly spend a lot of money on medicines. The health of the elderly certainly requires even more attention. We believe that the increase of pensions by 40 per cent is a solution to a very serious social problem and direct support for human health.

In short, dear friends, the social and economic reforms of recent years have produced positive results in our country. Along with this, of course, the country faces problems. We must strive and aspire to resolve them. Our economic course is correct. I am fully confident that the economy of Azerbaijan will continue to thrive. As for social issues, we have serious and specific state programs on each social issue, and these programs are being implemented. International organizations are giving their assessment of the work carried out in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is a country that has achieved the greatest progress worldwide in terms of the human development index over the past five years. According to the World Economic Forum, Azerbaijan is ranked 55th in the world for the competitiveness of its economy. It is third among former Soviet republics and first in the CIS. These figures, of course, are very inspiring for us. Let me repeat – they suggest that we have chosen the right course. Therefore, the attention shown to Azerbaijan by international organizations, especially such an influential and respected organization as the World Health Organization, is very valuable and important to us.

Dear friends, let me warmly welcome you all to Azerbaijan again! I wish you and the session further successes!

Thank you!