Ladies and gentlemen,
Looking around this room, I'm reminded of how diverse China is. Yunnan alone is home to 25 of China's 55 ethnic minority groups, each with its distinct language, customs and dress.
Ethnic minorities have added culture and colour to this country. In turn, they have long enjoyed their rights as recognised minorities. But when it comes to their socio-economic status, this diversity can often translate into disparity.
China's ethnic minorities make up 8.5 percent of the population but more than half of the country's poor. They also suffer from poorer health. A 2007 study found that the mortality rates for mothers, infants and children under five were higher than the national average. Maternal and child health among minority groups is also reportedly worse than the global average in developing countries.
Much of this can be attributed to inherent disparities between urban and rural communities, eastern and western regions where many ethnic minorities live. Disadvantaged communities face three types of access barriers: geographic, financial as well as cultural barriers. Language barriers also contribute to this gap.
But this does not have to be the norm. Preserving minority cultures and developing good health systems can go hand in hand if we take a culturally sensitive approach, adapt local traditions and involve the community.
Today I am pleased be part of the launch of the Spanish-Millennium Development Goals fund to promote maternal and child health among China's ethnic minorities. Specifically, the World Health Organization will focus on strengthening the health system in the project's selected areas.
It does not matter if a woman is Dai, Tibetan, Jingpo or Hui. She should have universal access to basic services that will provide a safe childbirth for her and a safe start in life for her baby.
To make this happen, we will support studies to estimate the cost of providing a basic package of maternal and child health and family planning services in minority areas. We will seek ways to monitor the cost-effectiveness of these services while working to integrate them into China's ongoing review and policy formulation on health financing and service delivery.
Minority communities should be trained to get more involved in caring for mothers and children. Traditional beliefs and practices must be taken into account. At the same time, health workers need to be trained to understand and accept the different perceptions and needs of women and children from minority communities. Health services can be improved only if we are able to respond to communities’ expectations and demands. Therefore, monitoring the quality of care delivered to mothers, their newborns and children has high priority.
With few exceptions, every mother or child we lose is a failure of the health system and a failure of the community. To help us to better gauge our progress, we must improve the quality of data on maternal and child health among ethnic minorities. Every mother, newborn and child must be counted and accounted for. Every mother, newborn and child should have access to life saving interventions, which are not expensive and essay to implement The lives of every mother and child are important and each of them counts.
Together we need to facilitate the development of evidence-informed policies, financing and equitable service delivery. To achieve these goals, contributions by the Ministry of Health, the National Center for Women and Children's Health, various research institutions, local health authorities and health staff are equally important.
We need to ensure coordinated implementation of services and achieve a continuum of care: from pregnancy to delivery, to infancy, to childhood, and beyond. Close collaboration among all the national stake holders is imperative to achieve this.
At an international level, too, close collaboration and coordination is important. WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA have developed methods and tools for many aspects of maternal and child survival. They have been tested and used with good results in many countries. WHO standards and tools are being made available to the Government for further adaptation and use in the cultural and development window of the Spanish MDG funds programme.
China's ethnic minorities may be small in number but their health is a major priority. I am confident that the Spanish fund to promote maternal and child health will be an important step in our efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals and develop a harmonious Xiaokang society by 2020.
Thank you.