- Published: December 24, 2021
- Updated: December 24, 2021
- University / College: University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
- Level: Secondary School
- Language: English
- Downloads: 5
High School Speech for Formal Ambassadors Meeting By Lecturer’s and Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Onthis day every year we set aside for the sensitization and awareness of all: the parents, health professionals, patients, carriers, community at large and the policy makers. Thalassaemia International Federation (TIF) has worked towards the adoption, since 1994, of an International Thalassaemia Day (ITD) scheduled on 8th May. On behalf of the Board of Directors of TIF I welcome you all to this meeting.
I am grateful for your interests expressed through your today’s positive influence and participation towards making this meeting a success. Your efforts and inputs are clearly reflected. I feel extremely honoured. It comes with excitement to state concisely for the fact that this meeting is on its second year, a step in growth.
Indeed, I am very confident to mention that the new initiative of TIF in each of the country members of our Federation will strengthen the impact and the value of its work. We honour this day through various activities with the objective of promoting education around these diseases in the 117 member associations in 56 countries.
‘ Economic recession: Observe – Join Forces – Safeguard Health’ is the theme this year. Officials and member associations are encouraged to focus on it with actions and activities as per the individual needs and priorities. There is a need to support policy decisions that negate inequalities of health, with specific concentration on countries affected with financial and economic crisis globally throbbing. Financial crisis has had wide reaching economic, social and political impacts with the quality of health care grossly affected with some of its most far reaching and devastating consequences. This theme highlights such.
The health sector has been affected by some, if not many, potentially irreversible consequences by the hard times of austerity that has had an impact across countries. The worsening of inequalities engulfing all areas of an individuals’ life be it professional, social, educational aspects perhaps the individual’s health most importantly in vulnerable population groups such as those with chronic disorders are touched and scratched with the global economic crisis as stated by the World Health Organization. The commitment for good quality services, various health authorities and the long life support of nations are needed by patients.
Massive threats to the stability of the social systems and public health care and to the general access to healthcare services come in handy with the global economic crisis. Specific measures, various national economic stimulus programmes in this scope could efficiently face the problem. General healthcare expenditure reduced considerably during economic downturns and afterwards a relatively long before hitting the former standards exclude achieving any progress in addition shown in earlier crisis from experience. Anyone, any time risks becoming a potential patient when there is someone permitting the crisis to degrade healthcare standards and should dawn on them that they are creating chronic illness with potentially catastrophic consequences not only for the whole existing patients with never ending complications but for all persons.
Considerable decrease of health budget in many countries should be noted and it is pivotal. Salaries, benefits and the daily costs of operation in the hospitals are such reductions. Health results are truly frightening in countries in economically disadvantaged bracket. Unprecedented outcomes of the financial crisis have raided the national, regional and international community of patient organizations in the past five years.
A lot more has been achieved and a lot more with Italy, Israel, Syria, India and Iran on board, we thank you. Working constructively in a proactive and protective way to safeguard patients’ rights is an obligation the National, Regional, European and International Patient Organizations as TIF amid this global crisis. Organizations work towards Thalassaemia and related diseases for patients become as challenging and all the more important during such times. They seem pivotal in strengthening networking and collaboration with agencies and official health related bodies in scope of their advancement at the international, regional and country level to avoid decline of whatsoever nature in the span of services and continued rot in health quality care systems provided particularly to patients with chronic diseases and redirecting.
Boosting efficiency and achieving consolidation fiscally in health system reforms in difficult times as such is essential. Building basis on the basic human rights to quality health and appropriate access to equality and solidarity are the universal overarching values that change should be based upon. Productive and working population is invested upon in an equal way in the prevention and treatment of diseases as a healthy contribution with the value of money evidently seen. Safety of patients and access to quality care should not be compromised with money inefficiencies to the systems of health and any reforms structured thus crises should not be hindrance in the long due but rather catalysts.
As organizations for patients, it is our duty and responsibility to offer all possible strong and firm support and heighten our role with the objective of working more productively and closer with international and national health related bodies to avoid fall and establish measures that will give a break to any damage and negative gradation of the healthcare system qualities while propelling the war for improving the prevention and management of haemoglobin disorders under economic global austerities prominent in most regions.
The lack of compassion, inappropriate long term planning for healthy citizens and a vision is what lacks financial strength and not a poor country or state. May we see a planet where effective treatment and prevention are national priorities and where all patients access quality healthcare in equal rights and justice through our mission vision and the work we do.
In closing, I would like to thank your excellencies and all in attendance for bearing with us and wish all of you a pleasant day. Thank you all.