Promoting productive capacity, employment and decent work to eradicate poverty in the context of inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth at all levels for achieving the MDGs

Thank you Mr. President, Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates for this opportunity to speak.

I am Cathey Falvo, a pediatric and public health physician, representing the International Society of Doctors for the Environment. We would like to offer the following concerns and solutions.

Poverty and health are related: the poorer you are the less healthy you are; the more your health fails, the more you move into poverty. When your health fails, you work less and, are less efficient when you do. Businesses run more smoothly if, employees are healthy.

Good health is critical to, and will result from, achieving all the MDGs. All the MDGs are health related. For example, the second leading cause of death in children worldwide is diarrheal disease - directly related to the quality and quantity of water, sanitation, and food. Improving sanitation facilitates maintaining clean water and food. It increases the likelihood that children, especially girls, will attend school. Diarrheal disease, and the accompanying malnutrition, adversely affect the central nervous system and, intellectual capacity of children.

Funding is needed to achieve the goals being deliberated. Reducing spending on armaments will free funds for this, and reduce the need for costly health care services and, environmental cleanup. Making health a central consideration, and using public health modalities to track progress, efficiency and efficacy of programs, will make the work toward creation of dignified employment, and accomplishing the MDGs easier. Health professionals can advise on physical, chemical and behavioral hazards in the environment, detect the presence of hazards, carry out surveillance to be sure preventive health measures instituted are achieving the expected goals, and ameliorate illness when it occurs.

We can, working together, achieve the goals of this meeting.

June, 2012 at the United Nations Headquarters, New York