OPENING REMARKS
by Dr. Elaine M. Wolfson
President of GAWH

The Global Alliance for Women's Health and the International Council of Women are very pleased to welcome you to this luncheon seminar on "Health for all Women in the 21st Century: How Do We Get There?" We are honoring Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General of the World Health Organization.

In planning this luncheon we probably faced a microcosm of the challenges that must be met by those who are working to advance women's health. We could not have prepared for this luncheon alone, so we sought partnerships from many quarters - governments, agencies, NGOs and the private sector. I am happy to report that these sectors are well represented by the more than 170 participants present here.

The luncheon seminar is significant for a number of reasons. First, it honors Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland. Although it is important to note that she is the first woman to head the World Health Organization and the first woman elected to head any UN agency, it is much more important to note that her election by member states of WHO and her presence here today are emblematic of WHO's expanding commitment to advancing the health of women throughout the world.

As President of the Global Alliance for Women's Health and as Chair of the UN NGO Health Committee, I can vouch for the widespread eagerness among many NGOs to work with Dr. Brundtland and the World Health Organization. And I think it is fair to say that most NGOs attending the CSW share this view - if we can use as an indicator the overwhelming number of requests from NGOs who wanted to attend this meeting. Regrettably, we could not accommodate them all in the limited space available.

Secondly, this luncheon seminar is important because our speakers will address the "how" of women's health policies, a component needing more attention. For example, Dr. Wanda K. Jones, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women's Health, will tell us about several of the challenges and mechanisms used in the United States by the Department of Health and Human Services to improve women's health.

Thirdly, the venue and timing of the luncheon seminar are also crucial. We believed that it was important to meet during the forth-third session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), while it is reviewing women and health. Subsequently the CSW will be reporting its conclusions to the member states at the Economic and Social Council and to the General Assembly. We are therefore fortunate to have Assistant Director-General and Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women, Angela King speaking today on women's health in the United Nations.

Finally your presence and participation at this luncheon seminar lends your voices in support of women's health. We at the Global Alliance for Women's Health know that women experience greater morbidity than men and we know that their health needs are frequently under served and under attended. Although we know that reproductive health and maternal and child health represent critical stages in women's lives, we also know that addressing only those health needs, while necessary, will never be sufficient to provide for the health of all women throughout their lives.

In other words, your presence here today helps to demonstrate to policy makers throughout the world that investing in women's health throughout the life span is perceived by all sectors as real and important. We hope that such a demonstration will also convince policy makers to invest in women's health. Families, children, nations and their development will reap the benefits of this investment.

On behalf of all of our partners, thank you for being here. Enjoy your luncheon. We will begin the presentations after the main course.