It is a pleasure to join you today, dear Excellency, dignitaries, colleagues and friends.
On 7 March 2020, Maldives reported its first case of COVID-19. Since then, Maldives has reported around 19 000 cases and just 60 deaths, which is three times below the global average mortality per million population.
Maldives’ achievement is indeed remarkable, and is made all the more significant given the country’s global connectedness and population density, which in Malé is almost 23 000 people per square kilometre, making it one of the world’s most population-dense cities.
From the beginning of the global outbreak, WHO has provided Maldives its full support, and I take this opportunity to thank His Excellency and Maldives’ leadership for their solidarity and support in turn.
Maldives’ buy-in to the COVAX Facility in particular has been inspiring, and is a cogent reflection of the country’s broader commitment to health equity, which can only be achieved through universal health coverage (UHC), to which Maldives is of course formally committed.
I look forward to Maldives’ ongoing regional and global leadership throughout the vaccine roll-out and in the recovery from the crisis, and commend leaders on their commitment to building a caring state and to implementing the Strategic Action Plan in letter and spirit.
For all countries in the Region and beyond, securing adequate and efficient health financing will be especially important to the recovery, for which Maldives provides a compelling example.
Maldives already spends 10% of GDP on health – the highest allocation in the Region – and provides government-funded comprehensive health insurance to every Maldivian.
I am certain that Maldives’ commitment to adequate and efficient public health financing will continue to be a core feature of its efforts to achieve UHC, which is one of the Region’s eight Flagship Priorities and the target that underpins Sustainable Development Goal 3.
It is my distinct pleasure to take part in this hand-over ceremony, which is yet another example of the hard work of Country Office colleagues and the seamless relationship between WHO and the Ministry of Health, which has been cultivated over many years.
With the help of WHO-provided test kits, Maldives has tested a staggering 75% of its population. Cold chain requirements have been secured for the next 10 years.
Country Office support in implementing key WHO guidance has helped inform Maldives’ scenario-based response, and the whole-of-government, whole-of-society buy-in on which it rests.
WHO’s partnership with other UN agencies has helped to enable socio-economic interventions, which are essential to protect against a range of health threats, both communicable and noncommunicable.
The procurement of essential medicines and consumables has helped Maldives maintain essential health services, which has been one of the Region’s key areas of focus throughout the response.
Maldives’ investments in health digitization – to which WHO has provided ongoing technical support – have proven especially valuable, and must be identified as a best practice moving forward.
Today’s hand-over will build on these and other achievements by facilitating the vaccine roll-out and ensuring Maldives can maintain progress in other areas of work, including strengthening TB and measles and rubella surveillance.
I congratulate Maldives for last year attaining rubella elimination, which is yet another public health achievement that the country can deservedly celebrate.
I close by wishing Maldives all the very best in its ongoing response, reiterate WHO’s full and unmitigated support, and look forward to the country’s ongoing regional and global leadership in our shared quest to achieve UHC, and with it, health and well-being for all.
Thank you.