On 6 June 2017 the Global Health Centre (GHC) welcomed the President of Uruguay, Dr Tabaré Vázquez, to talk about his experiences in taking political action to address non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and implementing tobacco control policies.
In his speech, the president highlighted the importance of education and prevention programmes at all levels of society and throughout the lifecycle, and participation of the population in the process of combatting the NCD epidemic. “What a greater power is there than a child telling her parents ‘Mommy, Daddy, don’t smoke, you are harming me’”, President Vázquez told the audience in reference to the need to educate children about the risks of tobacco consumption. Dr Tedros – who made his first public speech as WHO Director General-elect at the event – reinforced this point by highlighting the impact that making schools healthy environments, and free of negative commercial influence, has on the future health of young people and children. In his words, the “Most important step is to transfer skills and knowledge to the people so that they can lead a healthy life”.
Medical doctor and oncologist by training, Dr Vázquez brings his commitment to preventing and treating cancers into the political arena. Now in his second term as the President of Uruguay, he continues to act on his commitments that bring change to health and wellbeing. Under his leadership, Uruguay is hosting a Global Conference on NCDs in Montevideo in October 2017.
Dr Vázquez emphasised that lung cancer, although being complex to treat is easy to prevent by avoiding smoking. This paradox, facilitated by the “industrially produced epidemic”, is just one example of the urgent need of government-level commitment to accelerate action to combat NCDs.
Governments have the responsibility to uphold and defend the rights to life and health of their citizens over the commercial or other interests that could negate these rights. This was a crucial argument in the recent legal dispute Uruguay had with Phillip Morris, and one Dr Vázquez remains committed to. As President, he called for strengthened political will and multisectoral collaboration within the various sectors of government to deter the economic lobbying power of the unhealthy commodity industries.
In the same vein, Dr Bettcher, Director of the WHO Department for the Prevention and Control of NCDs, highlighted the importance of collaboration between the health and legal experts within governments. This is needed to ensure that treaties signed by the government, such as bilateral investment treaties, do not undermine public health policies.
The event was an important step in the process towards the Montevideo conference. The GHC is following the debates leading to the October conference and all the way to the High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2018. Already during the World Health Assembly this May, the GHC organised an event focusing on the commercial determinants of health and NDCs, and will continue to contribute to building the momentum towards the Montevideo conference. The time to act is now, and as former Secretary of State of Health of Switzerland Dr Zeltner said “building political will is one thing, but having the courage to take bold action is a different stepping stone” – and President Tabaré Vázquez has been a champion and role model for the rest of us in this.