{"id":57279,"date":"2015-05-28T07:45:00","date_gmt":"2015-05-28T07:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=ca3ba80369ea113321de2058a1a0b2d1"},"modified":"2015-05-28T07:45:00","modified_gmt":"2015-05-28T07:45:00","slug":"speech-international-conference-on-urban-heath-icuh-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=57279","title":{"rendered":"Speech: International Conference on Urban Heath (ICUH) 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Honourable State Minister, Mr Zaled Maleque, Mr Kazuhiko Higuchi, Mr Abdul Malek, Excellencies, Secretaries, Ladies and gentlemen<\/p>\n

It gives me great honour to be here this evening at the closing of the 12th International Conference on Urban Health. <\/p>\n

I gather that this has been a fantastic event with representation from across the globe. I am delighted that the UK was able to support it.<\/p>\n

The UK recognises the special importance of urban areas and the need for action.<\/p>\n

To address the challenges we work closely with our many partners here in Bangaldesh.<\/p>\n

The UK provides in the region of $60 million to support service delivery on a number of initiatives in close partnership with our US Aid.<\/p>\n

For example, in the last year, our partners provided four ante-natal care services to over 110,000 women in urban areas. <\/p>\n

This is just the start. <\/p>\n

We recognise that women and girls in urban slums have specific needs. <\/p>\n

Our approach is to expand quality clinical and community outreach services to over two million women and girls by 2018. <\/p>\n

Our ambition is to create the largest urban health referral system for the poor providing care from household to comprehensive facilities.<\/p>\n

To achieve this extensive links are needed throughout the entire health system. <\/p>\n

This include the Local Government Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and NGO\u2019s.<\/p>\n

This will not be possible without a multi-sectoral approach. <\/p>\n

Strong partnerships are needed between UKAid and NGO\u2019s, and between NGO\u2019s and the Government of Bangladesh.<\/p>\n

That work has already started. <\/p>\n

But we all have a role in making this happen. <\/p>\n

We all have to be accountable to ensure our actions are delivered. <\/p>\n

Our Prime Minister David Cameron, has been very clear about the Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals. <\/p>\n

The UK would prefer fewer, strong sustainable goals with urban issues mainstreamed across all the goals. <\/p>\n

Alongside that there should be mechanisms to make governments accountable to their citizens so they can be held to account.<\/p>\n

There is a long way to go. But the Dhaka Declaration announced this evening is the start of that process. <\/p>\n

Reading it I was pleased to see the need to gain expertise regarding Climate Change was acknowledged. <\/p>\n

We all know the potential consequences of climate change and especially the likely impact on urban environments.<\/p>\n

That is why I am pleased that Bangladesh and the United Kingdom will be key partners in the forthcoming discussions on emissions and setting global targets.
\nThere is a shared desire to negotiate a legally binding agreement.<\/p>\n

This will go some way towards making the Dhaka Declaration a reality.<\/p>\n

So, please consider how you can make the Dhaka Declaration a reality.
\nIt will need everyone here today and many more to make impact quickly.<\/p>\n

We should not allow roulette to be played with the health of people just because of where you live or who you are. <\/p>\n

We should embrace the sustainable development goals and implement them across the urban environment.<\/p>\n

We are all responsible. We are all accountable.<\/p>\n

We need to work together.<\/p>\n

On that note I would like to extend my thanks to the Honourable Minister of State for organising the first urban health coordinating committee last week.<\/p>\n

I appreciate the presence of the two Secretaries from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. <\/p>\n

We offer our support to strengthen that coordination at national and local levels and look forward in working together to meet the challenge head on. <\/p>\n

When over 1000 delegates attend an event to hear over 160 speakers, it demonstrates that this is an area of extreme importance. <\/p>\n

Conferences such as these are not just about statistics but also great sharing, networking and learning opportunities.
\nThey stimulate creativity and debate. <\/p>\n

I hope that the debate and connectivity this week encourages action from you all.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

British High Commissioner Robert W Gibson’s speech at the closing of the 12th International Conference on Urban Health in Bangladesh.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57279"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=57279"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57279\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=57279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=57279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=57279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}