April 7,2022

TH e COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the inequita¬ble and unsustainable sys¬tems in which people in the South- East Asia Region and across the world live and work, consume and exist. Globally, over 90 per cent of people breathe unhealthy air, resulting in around seven mil¬lion deaths every year, including around 2.4 million in the Region. Food systems that are unsafe, un¬healthy and unsustainable cause millions of premature deaths an¬nually, primarily from noncommu¬nicable diseases (NCDs), and are a leading contributor to climate change and antimicrobial resist¬ance – two of the greatest health risks facing humanity. 
In 2020 around one in four people globally lacked safely managed drinking water in their homes, and just 50 per cent of health care facilities in least-de¬veloped countries provided ba¬sic water services. Poor quality drinking water can lead to acute waterborne disease and risks of exposure to toxic chemicals such as arsenic. Inadequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities makes health care less effective and has a disproportionate im¬pact on women and girls. In total, WHO estimates that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable en¬vironmental causes – a figure that we cannot and must not accept. 
We have before us a once-in-a-century opportunity to drive transformative, lasting change. While the COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the inequitable and unsustainable nature of existing political, social and commercial decisions, it has shown that if de¬cision-making is transparent, evi¬dence-based and inclusive, people will support bold and far-reaching policies that protect their health, their families and livelihoods. It has shown that by prioritizing eq¬uitable health now and for future generations – including through long-term investments, well-being budgets, social protection, legal and fiscal strategies – we can build “well-being societies” that facilitate human flourishing and which fulfil every person’s right to health and development, without breaching ecological limits. 
To achieve a Region and world in which clean air, water and food are available to all, where econo-mies promote physical and mental health and well-being, where cities are liveable, and where people have control over their health and the health of the planet, together we must address five priorities. 
First, protect and preserve the source of human health: na¬ture. Policies that reduce deforest¬ation, promote afforestation, and end intensive and polluting ag¬ricultural practices improve air quality, strengthen food systems, and promote sustainable farming and forest management. They re¬duce the risk of emerging infec¬tious diseases, over 60 per cent of which originate from animals, mainly from wildlife. 
Second, invest in essential services, from water and sani¬tation to clean energy in health care facilities. Countries of the Region must continue to protect drinking-water supplies by im¬plementing multisectoral water safety plans and including WASH in relevant health policies, strat¬egies, and programmes, focusing on increasing access at the prima¬ry healthcare level. In line with the Region’s 2017 Malé Declaration, countries must continue to build climate-resilient health facilities that respond to and withstand en¬vironmental health threats and promote environmentally sustain¬able practices. 
Third, ensure a quick and healthy energy transition. Globally, two-thirds of exposure to outdoor air pollution results from the burn¬ing of the same fossil fuels that are driving climate change, which between 2030 and 2050 is expect¬ed to cause an additional 250,000 deaths annually. While countries of the Region have made commend¬able efforts to expand renewable energy sources, increased action is needed, and must be accom¬panied by rigorous enforcement of air quality standards, as well increased investments in public transportation infrastructure. 
Fourth, promote healthy and sustainable food systems. Dis¬eases caused by lack of access to food, or consumption of unhealthy, high-calorie diets, are a major contributor to NCDs, which in our Region kill around 9.2 million people annually. In all countries of the Region, WHO will continue to support countries to identify and implement high-impact and cost-effective “best buys” that transform the food environment, from food reformulation and la¬belling to increased taxation of unhealthy foods and beverages and strengthened restrictions on marketing, especially to children. 
Fifth, build healthy, liveable cities. In 2021, five cities in the Re¬gion were selected to participate in the WHO Urban Governance for Health and Well-being initi¬ative, which aims to strengthen the country’s capacities to pro¬mote health and address health inequities through multisectoral action. By asking just two exam¬ples, policymakers can expand cycleways and increase the provi¬sion of green and healthy spaces to reduce greenhouse emissions and road traffic injuries, increase physical activity, and promote mental health. 
We are at a pivotal moment. The decisions we make now can help either “lock in” the develop¬ment patterns that do permanent and escalate damage to ecologi¬cal systems that sustain human health and livelihoods, or they can promote a healthier, fairer, and greener world. Together, we must raise our voices and act now to protect our planet, health, and future.