President Cyril Ramaphosa
President of the 74th World Health Assembly, Her Excellency Dasho Dechen Wangmo,
Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
Your Excellencies Heads of State and Government,
Members of the World Health Assembly,
Esteemed Colleagues,
This Assembly is taking place in one of the most critical periods in recent history.
Every country is affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Millions of lives have been lost, every sphere of life has been disrupted, and citizens of every country have had to endure severe hardship.
This pandemic has made us more aware of our strengths and vulnerabilities.