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out-of-pocket expenditures on health services push 100 million people into poverty and cause 150 million to experience financial catastrophe every year.Though health is only one of 17 goals, it occupies pride of place in the 2030 agenda. Health is an end-point that reflects the success of multiple other goals. Because the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health are so broad, progress in improving health is a reliable indicator of progress in implementing the overall agenda. In the final analysis, the ultimate objective of all development activities, whether aimed at improving food and water supplies or making cities safe, is to sustain human lives in good health.The reforms already introduced by the [WHO] Regional Director put this office in a strong position to directly shape health conditions in Africa. The five-year transformation programme provides a powerful strategic framework for doing so, with its analysis of the greatest needs and barriers to progress, its identification of priority actions, and its articulation of time-bound deliverables that hold WHO leadership accountable for producing results.Health security and emergencies are understandably a top priority for this region. The frequency and magnitude of outbreaks and other health emergencies in the recent past are the greatest ever recorded. The worst may be yet to come.WHO has introduced organization-wide reforms to improve our performance during health emergencies. The new single programme, headed by Dr Peter Salama marks a fundamental change for WHO, in which our traditional technical and normative functions are augmented by operational capacities. Implementation of this change has moved forward quickly.I have read many reports, and attended many conferences, workshops, and summits, that have assessed the WHO response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. One conclusion is widely shared. A well-functioning health system is the best defence against the threat from emerging and re-emerging diseases. More and more, I see this conclusion ingrained in thinking about the future of health development.In this SDG era, universal health coverage stands a good chance of serving as a platform for both fair and inclusive health development and increased global health security.The above article is extracted from Dr Margaret Chan’s address to the Regional Committee for Africa on 19 August 2016 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. ■ ABOUT THE AUTHORDr Margaret Chan joined WHO in 2003 as Director of the Department for Protection of the Human Environment. In June 2005, she was appointed Director, Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response as well as Representative of the Director- General for Pandemic Influenza. In September 2005, she was named Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases. Dr Chan was elected to the post of Director-General on 9 November 2006. The Assembly appointed Dr Chan for a second five-year term at its sixty-fifth session in May 2012. Dr Chan’s new term will begin on 1 July 2012 and continue until 30 June 2017.Dr Chan, from the People’s Republic of China, obtained her medical degree from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She joined the Hong Kong Department of Health in 1978, where her career in public health began. In 1994, Dr Chan was appointed Director of Health of Hong Kong. In her ten-year tenure as director, she launched new services to prevent the spread of disease and promote better health.She also introduced new initiatives to improve communicable disease surveillance and response, enhance training for public health professionals, and establish better local and international collaboration. She effectively managed outbreaks of avian influenza and of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).Pictured: Dr Margaret ChanHEALTH 077