Washington, D.C.
April 7, 2008.

Dr. Roses, Ambassadors, Ministers and other distinguished guests.

I'm honored to represent my Government for this important World Health Day celebration, with its theme, "Protecting Health from Climate Change." It's also great to be back with the PAHO family, seeing many familiar faces. Dr. Beato, it's always a privilege to see you here.

Climate change is a serious challenge, the scale and scope of which will require a global response. The United States is committed to doing its part, working at home and abroad on a range of initiatives to strengthen energy security, maintain economic growth, and effectively address climate change.

The United States is also deeply concerned about global warming. We know that human activity - modern economic life - contributes to global warming. And, we are doing something about it - nationally and multilaterally. We are getting results in reducing our own emissions growth, on a par with what Europe and other developed countries are getting. And we have national plans in place to go farther.

Because the future growth in emissions is largely in the developing world, we are leading the effort to work with all the world's largest economies - including major developing nations - to build a new, common framework for the period beyond 2012, through the United Nations.

With our public and private sector investment in technology, we are leading the world in the essential task of breaking the link between global wealth and global warming.

The United States Government currently supports many domestic and international programs that protect human health from climate-sensitive risk factors - including climate change -- by improving local health systems, strengthening global surveillance systems, advancing climate science and mainstreaming climate considerations into sustainable development projects.

Throughout the world, the prevalence of some diseases and other threats to human health depends substantially on local climate, public health services, and other socioeconomic factors.

Preparedness for the health consequences of climate change aligns with traditional public health services, and - like preparedness for terrorism and pandemic influenza - reinforces the importance of a strong public health infrastructure. The United States supports programs to ensure that developing country health systems are effective, efficient, and equitable.

Let me give you a few examples:

The U.S. Government is the largest health donor, contributing more than $6.6 billion in fiscal year 2007. We fund a range of programs that recognize the need for a multisectoral response to public health and that address virtually every aspect of health systems.

Through programs that support training in field epidemiology, sustainable management, and decision making, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services assist countries around the world to build strong, effective, sustainable health programs and increase their capacity to improve public health systems on a local, regional, and national level.

In partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) created and introduced a tool for comprehensively mapping public and private funding sources and how funds are used for health sector activities. This approach, known as national health accounts (NHAs), is being applied in more than 65 developing countries to strengthen national health policy and decision-making processes.

Given the complexity of factors that influence human health, assessing health impacts related to climate change poses a difficult technical challenge. The United States supports national and international climate change research and activities that are targeted to better understand and predict health threats from climate variability and change.

Climate and health policies should recognize and complement other public health priorities. A robust public health system, strengthened through strategic partnerships with other sectors and stakeholders, can reduce present vulnerabilities to climate events.

Many countries in the Region play a leadership role in addressing the links between climate and health. The United States is committed to working with our neighbors in the Americas in the development of comprehensive strategies that is informed by science, emphasizes innovation and technological solutions and promotes international collaboration.

It is incumbent on all nations to do their part. It must be now and it must be a shared effort. Good governance, sustainable economic growth, environmental protection, effective public health systems, and poverty alleviation go hand-in-hand in a manner that preserves the environment for future generations.

Thank you so much for allowing me to spend some time with you. God bless.