Speech by Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel at the congress organised by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group on Strengthening Global Health – Implementing United Nations SDG 3 held in Berlin on 8 May 2019
Presse- und Informationsamt der Bundesregierung
Speech by Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel
at the congress organised by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group
on Strengthening Global Health – Implementing United Nations SDG 3
held in Berlin on 8 May 2019
Director-General Tedros,
Ralph Brinkhaus,
Hermann Gröhe,
Georg Nüßlein,
Fellow members of the German Bundestag,
Honoured guests,
Excellencies – I have been told by Hermann Gröhe that several Ambassadors are here today; we are pleased to
have you with us. When I say we, it is because I am a member of this parliamentary group, in addition to
being Federal Chancellor. The place I am standing today is where we normally sit side by side and listen to
the debates of the day. It’s not always easy – but always enjoyable.
Ladies and gentlemen,
“Those who do not find time every day for health must sacrifice a lot of time one day for illness.” These
words of wisdom by Sebastian Kneipp are still relevant today and should be heeded not only by career
politicians. Eat healthy, get enough exercise, don’t smoke, have regular medical check‑ups and get
vaccinated – and here I am referring to a current public debate in Germany that the Federal Minister of
Health is strongly, and I must say rightly, engaged in – all this is key to avoiding the diseases of modern
society. We know there is a very close link between living a healthy lifestyle and individual well-being.
Sebastian Kneipp’s helpful advice makes the case for prevention –which should have a permanent and prominent
place not only in our individual lives, but also throughout the healthcare sector. Prevention and prudent
behaviour by no means apply only to individuals. Rather, diseases always also have an impact on society as a
whole. Dealing with them requires time and money, as well as expertise and medical equipment. It would be an
overwhelming task for an individual to provide full personal health insurance. That’s as true for each of us
as it is for entire countries and regions – especially those that are not the most affluent in the world.
If you think that developing a healthcare system is a task that stops once you've reached a certain
development threshold, then think again. We see this every day. If you have visited the poorest countries in
the world – and I recently spent three days in Mali, Burkina Faso and the Niger – then you will have seen the
range of issues for which Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros is responsible, and how
different problems are there compared to our industrialised countries. We must of course make sure that we
live healthy lifestyles and maintain good healthcare systems. However, we also must contribute what we learn
through research and development. For example, we don't want to promote antimicrobial resistance through bad
livestock farming practices that could have a global impact, and we want our development cooperation efforts
help other regions attain sustainable development and health goals. Another cabinet colleague of mine,
Gerd Müller, will rightfully be participating in this congress.
So health is a shared task, in both a national and global sense. This is especially true and evident for
communicable diseases. These can cross borders and have devastating effects. The Ebola outbreak in 2014 in
West Africa was a particularly painful reminder of this. Currently, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
we see how political instability and insecurity due to Ebola are forming a disastrous combination. The
disease is being used to assert political interests. Aid workers are being threatened and attacked.
In April, such an attack resulted in the death of Richard Mouzoko, an epidemiologist who was on WHO
deployment. So it is true that people are sacrificing their lives, or being forced to sacrifice their lives,
because in addition to horrible diseases they are caught in the crossfire of political tensions. Mr Tedros, I
also want to take this occasion to express our sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of
Richard Mouzoko. It is unacceptable – and we must stand up for the cause – that people who simply want to
help others must risk life and limb to do so. After all, the only thing stopping the further spread of Ebola
are the committed and tireless efforts of aid workers.
Unfortunately, the number of infections recently rose again. That is why I want to use this opportunity to
repeat my appeal to all those in positions of responsibility in the region that they give aid workers truly
unhindered access, so that current infection numbers don’t grow into an even greater epidemic. I know this is
much easier said than done – especially in a region where violent outbreaks are a regular occurrence.
However, this also underscores the importance of the MONUSCO mission of the United Nations, which aims to
stabilise the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Of course, the best way to help aid workers would be to have far less need for their assistance – that is,
if there were more prevention. Merely reacting to health risks is not optimal – especially when aid efforts
are obstructed by security risks, often exactly at the time when help is most urgently needed. This is why we
must continue to work together to strengthen the healthcare sector – also at times when health risks do not
dominate the world’s headlines. We must prepare international systems as best we can to deal with future
emergencies.
Here, I want to say that significant progress has been achieved on coordinating the processes within the WHO
and the UN. I want to thank Director‑General Tedros for his reform efforts, as well as for building a clearly
structured system to deal with emergencies. Mr Tedros – this is an area in which we would like to continue
providing support. People who are acquainted with this topic will know that, although the words of the
Director-General of a UN organisation do hold sway, at the UN itself the regions often act independently.
Many good arguments and lots of persuasion are therefore needed to achieve seamless cooperation.
Of course, international agreements do not relieve individual countries of their responsibility.
Strengthening national healthcare systems is, after all, in the vested interest, and incidentally also in the
economic interest, of every country – because health is a key prerequisite for national economic development.
Here, however, I would like to add the following: My visit to Mali, the Niger and Burkina Faso made clear to
me how large the threat of terrorism is in all three countries. They spend between 20 and 30 percent of their
budgets exclusively on security. When that happens, other equally important areas of development are
short‑changed. These tasks are therefore very much interlinked – guaranteeing security and providing
healthcare services, thereby helping to promote economic prosperity.
Germany makes available more than one billion euros annually in economic cooperation funding for
health‑related projects. Our aim in doing so is to jointly work on finding solutions where they are needed.
In this connection, let me say that I very much approve of the WHO approach to not dictate solutions, but
rather to travel to the respective regions first to learn what is actually required and what actions will
have a lasting effect. Because, for example, it would not make sense to build entire hospital sites at an
arbitrary location without also making sure that the respective infrastructure and links are also ensured.
That is why cooperation through partnerships is urgently needed to create both acceptance in these regions
and to achieve lasting, desired results.
Whether the goals be humanitarian objectives, development policy aims, economic interests or even
self‑motivation – we must act to limit the spread of diseases. For everyone in the international community,
this is a shared responsibility. We have a duty to support poorer countries, so that they can live up to
their responsibilities.
This shared responsibility is also reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In Germany, we
are committed to the Sustainable Development Goals. That, after all, is what’s special about the SDGs: rather
than targeting the less developed countries, they are part of a joint, global agenda. We have considerably
stepped up our engagement on SDG 3 – not only financially. Hermann Gröhe has just said that we very
deliberately placed this issue on our G7 and G20 presidency agendas, and we’ve done everything we can to make
sure that it is not forgotten.
I’m therefore most grateful to Japan, which holds the current G20 presidency, for focusing on the issue of
Universal Health Coverage. We want to talk about how we can obtain agreement on substantial steps towards
Universal Health Coverage. The heads of state and government will also talk about this at the United Nations
in September. This will send a very important signal, because we will thereby be highlighting the importance
of global and universal health coverage.
Health issues are one of the areas where international cooperation can show what it's capable of. An example
that occurs to me is the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility of the WHO and the World Bank. They are very
valuable instruments to make crisis management funds available swiftly and without red tape. In fact, we
simulated our health emergency coordination capabilities with an exercise during our G20 presidency. The
German Government is very active in this regard.
In my opinion, it is just as important for research progress to also benefit countries with weaker
economies. Thanks to the CEPI alliance – the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations – we can more
effectively deploy new vaccines, and with the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership we can
efficiently and fairly distribute new antibiotics. I would like to say the following about antibiotics:
possibly one of the most serious problems – although it is often underestimated – is that we often prescribe
antibiotics too liberally. It is incredibly difficult and by no means certain that we can constantly develop
new antibiotics. This is why we must act very prudently and carefully.
Research often does not devote enough attention to many diseases in poorer countries and the ways that they
can be treated – because of the bottom line. There is a significant danger that rich countries will work on
addressing their diseases and at the same time overlook the fact that, in other places, there are widespread
diseases for which real treatment progress could be achieved with modest investments in research. It is a
matter of particular importance to me that we not forget such poverty‑related diseases. According to
estimates, these affect more than one billion people. So‑called neglected tropical diseases are therefore by
no means be negligible.
This is of course true for the "big three" – HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. In Africa alone, some
250,000 children still die from malaria every year. Knowing what a malaria net costs, and giving some thought
to the idea of supplying these, it becomes obvious that we really should take action wherever we can. To
combat these diseases, we have the Global Fund, which is due to be replenished for the years 2020 to 2022
this October in Lyon. Germany will again make a substantial contribution. Much hope is being placed in the
new malaria vaccine. It is being tested in Malawi, took three decades to develop, and has the potential to
prevent 40 percent of overall cases and 30 percent of severe cases of malaria. It would be significant
progress if we could actually get this vaccine out to where it is needed.
I think the examples I’ve given prove that health alone is worth all the effort that we can devote to it.
But there are good reasons that one of the Sustainable Development Goals for the 2030 Agenda is “healthand
well‑being”. This shows that health is intricately interconnected with other SDGs that affect the well‑being
of each and every one of us.
Considering the key role of health for a dignified life, I have joined Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg
and Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo in calling for a plan of action to implement SDG 3. I’m very grateful
for the committed efforts of the WHO in this regard. Mr Tedros, this work is very important, and we will
continue to support it. Because if we know what specific measures can help accelerate progress towards, or
just help achieve, health‑related goals, then we can take more targeted action.
That, after all, is key to delivering on all goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Just
think: There is a large number of recipient countries – there are more than 50 countries in Africa alone. And
there are certainly 60 or 70 countries that are able to provide aid for development measures. Yet no one
looks at the combined effect – that is, how efficiently goals in the respective country are being met. It is
therefore paramount – and the WHO indeed does this – to internationally coordinate action. We must pay
attention to what assistance is given where, and to how we can make sure that we are on the right track to
achieving the SDGs.
At the World Health Summit last October here in Berlin, a first version of the plan of action was presented.
Work on drafting the final version is under way. That will certainly also be one of the topics of discussion
here today. Initial results show that the signatory organisations – such as the WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank,
the Global Fund and the Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance – are comparing and deconflicting their programmes of work
and unifying their strategies. I am very much looking forward to the final document, which is due to be
presented during UN Week in September. Maybe Mr Tedros will give us some examples of these efforts. Of
course, we also make a point of working with foundations. The Gates Foundation, for example, is represented
here today, and representatives of other foundations may be here as well. Here, too, we must make sure that
activities to reach our goals are coordinated.
I certainly hope – and here I turn to the head of my parliamentary group – that the German Bundestag will be
of assistance in this regard, dear colleagues and Mr Ralph Brinkhaus. Because I would welcome it if our
parliaments could help lobby support for the action plan. That is very important. The fact that a
subcommittee on global health was newly established this legislative term is also a sign that we believe the
time has come to again focus on this issue. I am pleased that there is broad consensus on this topic. That of
course is also very important for us in the German Government. We know that our budget will be slightly lower
this year, maybe also next year. However, we hope that the issue of global health will remain a top priority.
I assure you that the German Government will remain strongly engaged on this issue. We are working on a new
strategy that we intend to present before the end of the year.
Finally, I would like to say that every person on earth should be able to live a healthy life. Also in
poorer countries, people must be given access to a functioning healthcare system. With the 2030 Agenda, we
made a strong commitment. We are, however, bound not only by the document, but above all by the human
imperative. We can accomplish great things by acting as one. I am convinced that today’s congress is helping
to raise the profile of this issue, and that through coordinated joint action we can make even better
progress towards the ambitious goals that we have set.
Mr Gröhe, Mr Nüßlein – thank you for organising this congress. I believe it is very important and I was
pleased to be your guest. Thank you very much.
Mittwoch, 8. Mai 2019
Link zur Meldung im Webangebot: https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/impressum/speech-by-federal-chancellor-dr-angela-merkel-at-the-congress-organised-by-the-cdu-csu-parliamentary-group-on-strengthening-global-health-implementing-united-nations-sdg-3-held-in-berlin-on-8-may-2019-1612274
Presse- und Informationsamt der Bundesregierung
E-Mail: InternetPost@bundesregierung.de [mailto:InternetPost@bundesregierung.de]
Dorotheenstr. 84
D-10117 Berlin
Telefon: 03018 272 - 0
Telefax: 03018 272 - 2555
Internet: www.bundesregierung.de [http://www.bundesregierung.de]
Internet: www.bundeskanzlerin.de [http://www.bundeskanzlerin.de]
Themenseite: Europa [https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/europa]
