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The ceremony began with a speech by St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov.

“Strengthening international and interregional cooperation in medicine is one of the central issues of our time. The pandemic showed how much we need each other in the fight against dangerous infections. Medicine should bring countries and peoples closer together. Best practices in disease management should be available to all. People’s health today is the responsibility not only of medicine, but also of industry, scientists, social services, the education system, and sports,” the governor said.

According to the head of St. Petersburg, the city has moved from partial improvements to large-scale transformations in medicine. During the pandemic, four transforming inpatient units were built. The fifth is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of the year. Large-scale modernization of polyclinics is underway. The formation of a network of outpatient oncological care centers is being completed. Seventeen such centers have already been opened, and the 18th will open by the end of the year.

Beglov also emphasized that strengthening international ties in medicine is the most important issue of today.

“Medicine is beyond politics, it’s a planetary task for all inhabitants. Best practices should be available to all. One of the key tasks is to preserve the health of the population. It is not by chance that one of our first national projects was a project on health, and the first steps in this national project were a global impetus in the development of Russian healthcare,” Beglov added.

The representative of the World Health Organization in Russia Melita Vujnovic presented Beglov with a certificate of accreditation of St. Petersburg in the 7th phase of the WHO Healthy Cities project. Ms. Vujnovic also noted that it is very important to prioritize health of the population above all else, even in the context of global geopolitical tensions.

“During the Cold War, the USSR had temporarily withdrawn from the WHO, but returned to the World Health Assembly to lead a crucial initiative to eliminate smallpox. It was a tremendous success. Today again we are in a similar world, again in a very challenging political and epidemiological situation, and we are again hoping for an initiative that will put health above everything else,” Vujnovic said.

The WHO representative in Russia noted the leading role of our country in general and St. Petersburg in particular in vaccinating the population against COVID-19 and influenza, and also spoke of the need to combat the spread of pseudoscientific beliefs, because they cause refusal to vaccinate, which leads to increased child mortality.

“The coronavirus pandemic is not over yet. There’s still a lot to be done. In particular, we need to overcome the difference in vaccination rates between countries. Poor countries are in dire need of the vaccine. The situation there is unfavorable, among other things, because of low testing rates and new mutations,” Vujnovic added.

Director of the WHO Eurasian Office Hans Kluge addressed the audience via video link:

“It is critical to bring key stakeholders together to find practical solutions to public health problems. I firmly believe that strong partnerships and cooperation are necessary to achieve a sustainable and healthy future. I highly appreciate St. Petersburg’s achievements in healthcare and encourage continued innovation for us to arrive at a healthy future together.”

Kluge also emphasized the special role of the Healthy Cities, Neighborhoods and Townships Association in protecting public health.

“The Healthy Cities Association is at the frontlines of combatting the coronavirus pandemic. Work is carried out with the most vulnerable groups of the population, citizens’ access to information is ensured, and comprehensive support is provided. The positive effects of this work will be felt for decades to come,” Kluge added.

The Director of the WHO Eurasian Office noted that there can be no health without peace and called for an early cessation of armed conflicts in Europe.

Oleg Kuvshinnikov, Governor of the Vologda Region, Chairman of Healthy Cities, Neighborhoods and Townships Association, stated the need to consolidate efforts in the fight against the pandemic and other global challenges.

“Today the Forum brought together leading Russian and global healthcare experts. This is very important in the era of global challenges. It is necessary to fight the pandemic and other challenges to public health by joint efforts of the entire world community,” Kuvshinnikov said.

He also noted that in recent years Russia has seen negative trends in public health. Life expectancy is decreasing, mortality rates are rising, and the percentage of alcoholic beverage consumption is increasing. These trends need to be reversed now for the sake of a healthy future.

Oleg Salagai, Deputy Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, read out a video message to the participants of the Saint Petersburg International Health Forum from Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Health of the Russian Federation.

“The well-being and health of the population is one of Russia’s strategic goals. It is impossible to achieve high life expectancy without solving public health problems, without a fundamental focus on strengthening and preserving the health of citizens and providing the necessary medical care. The Ministry of Health, on instructions from the Government, is implementing a set of measures to increase citizens’ commitment to a healthy lifestyle and control infectious diseases. First of all, this is the federal project for Strengthening Public Health, which is part of the national project Demography,” Murashko wrote.

At the end of the official part, Vladimir Zapevalov, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in St. Petersburg, read out an address to the Forum participants from Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

“The St. Petersburg International Health Forum has established itself as an important platform uniting professionals in the medical field. Strengthening the healthcare system for the well-being of citizens is a highly urgent task. Its solution requires constant attention of the authorities. As the fight against the coronavirus pandemic has shown, international cooperation is also vital. Russia has consistently advocated equitable, non-politicized cooperation in the field of public health, made a significant contribution to WHO activities, and provided the necessary assistance to countries in need. It advocates for the lifting of sanctions and restrictions that make it difficult for developing nations to access modern medicines and vaccines. I am sure Russia’s constructive approach is shared by most of our partners,” Lavrov wrote.

The St. Petersburg International Health Forum takes place at ExpoForum on October 25–27. All the event details can be found at the project’s official website.