It means promoting policies for international trade, for the environment, for social development that empower people, particularly poor people, to take control of their health. Beyond this there is another, perhaps deeper, rationale for international health action. In a world torn by economic, ethnic, religious and cultural division, health remains as one of the few truly universal values. All major systems of belief and all mainstream political movements give primacy to the preservation of life, the promotion of well being and respect for the intrinsic dignity of the human being. We have witnessed the unifying power of health when civil strife has stopped to allow vaccination campaigns to reach both bands.
Health is a bridge to peace, an antidote to intolerance, a source of shared security.
One of the key challenges to everyone who will help build the 21 st century is to find the anchor points for a better common future. Health is one of them. WHO has changed the way in which it works so that it is better able to catalyze change in people s prospects for good health. First, we have been explicit about the fundamental values that must continue to underlie all internal health work. A particular focus on equity, human rights on reducing poverty and on empowering people to be able to make choices.