{"id":164403,"date":"2018-09-26T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2018-09-26T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/73\/?p=164403"},"modified":"2018-10-01T12:22:54","modified_gmt":"2018-10-01T16:22:54","slug":"opening-of-the-high-level-meeting-on-the-fight-against-tuberculosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/73\/2018\/09\/26\/opening-of-the-high-level-meeting-on-the-fight-against-tuberculosis\/","title":{"rendered":"Opening of the High-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

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– As delivered –<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

[Translated from Spanish]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Statement by H.E. Mrs. Mar\u00eda Fernanda Espinosa Garc\u00e9s, President of the 73rd<\/sup> Session of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly<\/h3>\n

26 September 2018<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Opening of the High-level meeting on the fight to end tuberculosis<\/p><\/div>\n

Heads of State and Government,<\/em><\/p>\n

Distinguished Ministers,<\/em><\/p>\n

Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, <\/em><\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/em><\/p>\n

Ladies and Gentlemen,<\/em><\/p>\n

And all Member States of the United Nations,<\/em><\/p>\n

It is an honor to have the opportunity to open this, the first ever High-Level Meeting on the fight to end tuberculosis.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I would like to extend my thanks to Dr. Tedros and the World Health Organization, as well as to the Stop TB Partnership and civil society who have supported preparation of this event and advocated for engagement in the fight against tuberculosis.<\/p>\n

I would also like to recognize the Permanent Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda, and Japan, who have served as co-facilitators of the consultations on the outcome document.<\/p>\n

Finally, and personally, I would like to thank those of you in the room who work, tirelessly, on the frontlines of this battle.\u00a0 Your commitment and your determination are an inspiration.<\/p>\n

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Excellencies, allow me to be frank: our progress on tuberculosis has simply not been good enough.<\/p>\n

Tuberculosis is preventable, treatable and curable. And yet, this disease claimed 1.6 million lives last year including 300,000 people who lived with HIV. In addition, multidrug-resistant TB remains a public health crisis.<\/p>\n

This, my friends, is unacceptable.<\/p>\n

In addition to the moral failings of such a mortality rate, the economic losses are staggering. It is estimated that TB could cost the global economy upwards of $1 trillion by 2030.<\/p>\n

By investing now we can save lives, reduce suffering and eliminate economic losses. This is our moral and political responsibility.<\/p>\n

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