OREANDA-NEWS. June 26, 2009. Transcript of the meeting's beginning:  Vladimir Putin: Ms Chan, colleagues. We are happy to welcome you in Moscow.

Our relations with the World Health Organisation have been developing for a long time and very successfully. We support all of the WHO initiatives and efforts in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other socially dangerous diseases. We consider it extremely important to jointly combat alcoholism, smoking, and other habits that have a direct negative effect on people's health.
We welcome your efforts in the struggle against infectious diseases threatening the lives of millions, such as the effort against the A(H1N1) flu type. We take into consideration your warnings and analysis, and take requisite measures at the national level.

Despite the global financial and economic crisis, we have increased allocations to healthcare by 8% this year. We are carrying on the Healthcare nationwide programme formulated several years ago. I am pleased to say that it has been bringing the expected results: the death rate has been reduced by 9% over the past few years, the infant mortality rate is down 22.7% and the birth rate is up 18.7%. On the whole, the decrease of the population has slowed by more than two times, while the average life span has grown by 2.5 years.

We intend to continue to expand these efforts. The Russian Government is drafting a concept for long-term healthcare development until 2020, to be based on state guarantees of free medical assistance. We highly value our cooperation with the World Health Organisation, and I am confident that your visit will boost relations between Russia and the WHO.

Margaret Chan (as translated): Mr Putin, it is a great honour for me to be in Russia.

I would like to remind you about our first meeting, during the G8 summit in St Petersburg in 2006. Our next meeting took place in Davos in January 2009. I have been waiting for this meeting impatiently, seeking to promote cooperation between Russia and the World Health Organisation.

I would like to thank you personally for your efforts in healthcare. I have listened to your speeches and watched your progress in the implementation of the national healthcare programme. I can tell you that what we see in Russia is called return on investment, or investment profitability, in the financial world.

Over the past 10 years, conditions in Russia have improved considerably. First, life expectancy has increased - we were worried about it ten years ago, but it has now increased. It is clear that the Government is paying much attention to healthcare. Also, the health of and care for children and mothers have improved.

Russia has joined the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. We also see other major changes. I am confident that Russia will do well in attaining the healthcare goals formulated in the UN Millennium Declaration by 2015.

Of course, Russia as well as other countries are facing difficult tasks - to promote preventive measures and popularise healthy living, and also to redouble efforts in the struggle against AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases.

I would like to highlight Russia's role in global healthcare. I know that Russia is working to create an A(H1N1) vaccine. Despite the global downturn, I believe that Russia has the research capability and requisite potential to create vaccines and other antiviral substances.

Moreover, I would like to praise your efforts not just in Russia but also in the CIS. As far as I know, you are helping your neighbours with healthcare, which is highly commendable.

I would also like to speak about the importance of global efforts in helping some African and Asian countries. I believe that the World Health Organisation can support these efforts, and we can discuss Russia's contribution to this work. I hope we will continue our fruitful cooperation.

And one more thing I would like to mention: I worked with the staff of the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development, and I can tell you that you have a wonderful gender balance. You appoint women to the right posts.

Mr Putin, in concluding this opening address I would like to thank you personally for your assistance and support. I think the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, which you have approved, will help us to determine potential venues of cooperation between the WHO and Russia.

I would like to point out two things in this respect. First, this memorandum would facilitate the implementation of Russia's development concept until 2020. And second, it would promote cooperation at the regional and international levels.

After we sign the Memorandum of Understanding, we can hold technical discussions on relevant issues.

I would like to say again that it is a great honour for me to meet with you in Moscow and to discuss issues of mutual interest.

Vladimir Putin: You mentioned smoking, but I would like to add that we should also drink less. This would have a big beneficial effect on the nation's health, I can assure you. In this context I believe that we should follow your recommendation of popularising healthy living standards - it should become the main thrust of our work in this area.