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Action Plan for coming years based on Colombo Declaration
View(s):C’wealth Medical Association meeting ends
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi
Newly-inducted President of the Commonwealth Medical Association, Prof. Vajira H.W. Dissanayake lays down his plans before the distinguished audience. Pix by Indika Handuwala
As the three-day Commonwealth Medical Association’s 24th Triennial Conferencehosted by Sri Lanka draws to a close this evening, the guiding light for the next three years’ work will be the Colombo Declaration.
The declaration calls upon all Commonwealth governments to reduce inequalities and improve the health and well-being of all citizens across the Commonwealth, as part of achieving the implementation of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It was at the inauguration of the 24th Triennial Conference on Friday evening, amidst much glitter and glamour at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, that the newly-inducted President of the Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA), Prof. Vajira H.W. Dissanayake, pointed out that a ‘Plan of Action’ for the coming years will be based on the Colombo Declaration. (See box)
The inauguration was attended by a distinguished gathering which included President Maithripala Sirisena, Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Tourism Minister John Amaratunga, the Commonwealth’s Deputy Secretary-General Deodat Maharaj, the Commonwealth Foundation Chair Sir Anand Satyanand and the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Health and Education Unit Head, Dr. Joanna Nurse.
Prof. Dissanayake said that the Colombo Declaration is acceptable to all, having been refined and modified, with many organisations being signatories or supporters of the document. “This is a unique achievement,” he said, explaining that the Colombo Declaration lives up to the ‘inclusive’ theme of the conference.
He said that the CMA’s activities will include the launching of the unique platform, Commonwealth E-varsity, which would link academic institutions across the Commonwealth; setting in motion a process of accreditation; and his “pet” area of implementing and strengthening digital health in Commonwealth countries.
Picking up some focus points in the Colombo Declaration, he said that ‘strengthening health systems for global security’ will aim for approaches to reduce inequalities, improve health and well being and address global security challenges including, but not limited to, climate change and environmental hazards, violence, migration, emergencies and disasters, disease outbreaks, anti-microbial resistance and access to medicines.
Advancing sustainable approaches to prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs), meanwhile, will endeavour to share effective policy approaches across the Commonwealth on reducing the impact of NCDs and prevention of disabilities and injuries, including violence, while continuing to combat Communicable Disease (CDs) and promote better oral health by addressing the wider social determinants of health to promote sustainable well-being.
Earlier, reading out a message from the Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Patricia Scotland, Deputy Secretary-General Deodat Maharaj said that in this year when ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’ is being celebrated, no more important focus can be thought of than fair and equitable access for all to affordable and quality healthcare provision.
“I want to put the ‘wealth’ back into Commonwealth, and to put the ‘common’ back into ‘wealth’. I also want to put the ‘health’ back into Commonwealth, and the ‘common’ back into ‘health’. It is a shared responsibility and we all stand to gain from societies that are healthier, stronger and more resilient. An Inclusive Commonwealth has commitment to, and concern for, the well-being of all, and this mindset ought to form the basis of our values-driven ‘Common-Wealth’ – ‘Common-Health’ approach to the implementation of the SDGs. The Health Sector also has a vital role to play in strengthening our overall communal resilience within the wider context of global security.
“I want – and I hope you all want – a world in which we protect, value and respect the life of every human being. And we want more than this too, we want a world where everyone can thrive and flourish, can reach their full potential, and contribute actively to their family, their community, their country – and also to our wider family – the Commonwealth.
“To achieve this goal, we need to recognize the importance of the health of the environment on which we all rely for the very fundamentals of life: Food, water, and shelter.
“The recent challenges of Ebola, Zika and climate-related disasters, as well as longstanding scourges such as malaria, and emerging threats such as anti-microbial resistance, ought to alert us and mobilize us to work in smarter ways in future. Our current systems are inadequate, and in health security, a weak link anywhere creates vulnerability everywhere. So we need to act together to build the resilience of the weakest if we are to protect the welfare of all – that is what Commonwealth means.”
Referring to the Commonwealth Health Hub, it was stated that it is helping to transform the way that the Commonwealth works.
Baroness Scotland’s statement said, “It is helping us to share good practice for policy development and delivery and to mobilize collaborative approaches for scaling up resources and capacity to deliver robust health systems. The Hub will achieve this by utilizing digital and mobile health technology for the health systems of tomorrow – indeed we are already working as key partners in the new Mobile Alliance for Pandemics.
“So I am very pleased indeed to see that the focus of this Commonwealth Medical Association Conference is on ICT and health. This is a great opportunity to explore innovative ways of extending the implementation of communication and alert systems to protect the health of many more people throughout the Commonwealth – particularly where healthcare facilities are sparse, or in remote and isolated communities.”
While promoting development of innovative digital health solutions aims todevelop ICT tools to address public health challenges and create sustainable health systems that empower health workers and communities; promoting sustainable investment and financing for health systems aims for a minimum investment of 6% of GDP for health, prioritizing investment in the most cost-effective approaches including public health and primary health care, sustainable, and best practice health systems.
The promotion of partnership through scale-up of digital health technologies is seen as a way of enhancing capacity, communication, coordination, sharing and collaboration to strengthen policy responses in the promotion of Universal Health Coverage and protection of populations from Communicable Disease (CD) outbreaks and disasters.
Meanwhile, committing to advancing collaborative action across the Commonwealth will address key issues such as climate change, migration, outbreaks of CDs and all forms of violence, which affect health and wellbeing.
| Box I – The Colombo Declaration The eight-point Colombo Declaration deals with: Strengthening health systems for global security; Ensuring equity in health for all by addressing the wider determinants of health; Improving multidisciplinary health workforce capacity and the quality of training across the Commonwealth; Advancing sustainable approaches to prevent and control Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs); Promoting development of innovative digital health solutions; Promoting partnership through scale-up of digital health technologies; Promoting sustainable investment and financing for health systems; · Committing to advancing collaborative action across the Commonwealth. |