Health for All Manifesto

Health is a fundamental right, written in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and mentioned in more than half of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. Health is the foundation to individual well-being, and global prosperity. It is at the heart of human development and social progress. The right to health is a universal principle, relevant to the whole world. Every country in the world, however developed it may be, is facing major health challenges: giving the broadest possible access to healthcare; preventing and fighting global epidemics and diseases; improving access to drinking water and health services; fighting against malnutrition and undernourishment; taking care of an increasingly older population; ensuring individuals’ physical and mental well-being; promoting a clean environment and healthy lifestyles… These are but a few examples of a global issue, where a lot remains to be done. For us, four conditions are absolutely necessary to answer these global challenges: 1) Cooperating and sharing knowledge between countries, to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare; 2) Improving public health by accessible services and education; 3) Encouraging Research and Innovation, to address current and future medical and environmental challenges; 4) Promoting healthy living, for the physical and mental well-being of the individuals and thus society; It’s for all these reasons that we have decided to support Izmir, city of Hippocrates and Galen, in its bid to the 2020 World Expo, dedicated to “New Roads to a better World/Health for all”. Health has never been the main theme of an Expo; and yet, a health-themed Expo has never seemed so necessary. We want Expo 2020 at Izmir to be a platform for the exchange of scientific knowledge, so that all countries may learn from each other, by sharing expertise and innovation. We want the Expo to be a meeting point that will connect people, international organizations and companies, to help find solutions to current global health challenges. With this project, we want to raise global awareness on health issues, spread knowledge to all countries and promote innovation on a world-wide scale. With Expo 2020 Izmir, we want to create new opportunities and find new solutions for the benefit of the whole world. The ideals of the World Expo are those of human progress by sharing knowledge and cultures.