Archbishop Tutu: "Health must be inclusive of spiritual well-being"

In an inspiring speech to delegates attending the 61st World Health Assembly in Geneva recently, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu challenged governments and policy makers to do better to fulfil the promise of health for all. He called the right to health a sacred and solemn covenant.

Extracts of a statement by Reverend  Desmond Mpilo Tutu,  Archbishop Emeritus, Cape Town, South Africa and Nobel Prize Laureate, to the 61st World Health Assembly in Geneva:

"Health not only encompasses the physical, mental and social well-being, but must be inclusive of spiritual well-being. Let me explain: I have a favourite book of cartoons by the late Mel Calman of the London Observer newspaper entitled, “My God”. One shows God somewhat nonplussed and saying, “Oh dear, I think I have lost my copy of the Divine Plan!” Looking at the state of the world we might be forgiven for wondering if God ever had a plan at all.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu: " Then there are those leaders playing havoc with the well-being, the health of their people. In these places, even the children are enlisted into ranks of soldiers. Likewise, parents watch helplessly as their children succumb, either because medication is rendered useless because of lack of electricity and so of refrigeration, or they are held up at check points and may fail to reach the hospital in time, if at all. Beloved, health cannot be de-linked or separated from the killing effects of living under the bonds of terror, oppression and tyranny."

There are devastating floods in one part and destructive droughts in other parts. Couldn’t God have organised things better so that there was enough water for all? Then there are all the man-made disasters of tyranny and oppression, an endless doleful catalogue of woe. There are the long lines of bedraggled refugees from natural and man-made disasters. We have the casualties of racism, ethnic strife and xenophobia and staring us in the face is the looming catastrophe of climate change and ecological degradation signalled by tsunamis, cyclones and hurricanes.

Easily preventable diseases

And you would be particularly aware of the devastation caused by disease – TB, malaria, HIV/AIDS, river blindness, polio, cholera, infant mortality, maternal illnesses, many fuelled by poverty – children dying of easily preventable diseases if they could but get the inexpensive vaccination/inoculation; many illnesses resulting from a lack of clean water, proper sanitation and decent housing.

There is also evil when we refuse or become immobilized by bureaucracies or corruption to provide the needed remedy to heal the nations. We must never forget that as government leaders, we have a calling to dispel ignorance, restore justice and defend liberty.

We have this calling to ensure peace and build good health. Much disease and heartbreak is preventable if governments had the political will – the 15% Now campaign seeks to urge African Heads of State to honour their pledges and so prevent unnecessary deaths of 8 million of their citizens.

Then there are those leaders playing havoc with the well-being, the health of their people. In these places, even the children are enlisted into ranks of soldiers. Likewise, parents watch helplessly as their children succumb, either because medication is rendered useless because of lack of electricity and so of refrigeration, or they are held up at check points and may fail to reach the hospital in time, if at all. Beloved, health cannot be de-linked or separated from the killing effects of living under the bonds of terror, oppression and tyranny.

Evil is real and rampant

The times are thoroughly out of joint. Evil is real and rampant. In our Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, we were devastated by the stories of atrocities committed. “We gave him drugged coffee and shot him in the head. Then we burned his body. It takes 7-8 hours for this to happen and so we had a barbecue and drank beer.” You wondered what could have happened to the humanity of those perpetrators that they could sink so low. We realized of course that it bore witness to the fact that you and I, all of us, have this horrendous capacity for evil. Those who supported Hitler did not have horns and tails. They were human beings like you and me, often even prominent, respected members of their communities. Yes, we all have the capacity to sink so low.

But wonderfully, that turned out not to be the whole story, nor indeed the most important part of the story. Wonderfully, exhilaratingly, there was another, a glorious side. We witnessed extraordinary exhibitions of magnanimity as victims of the most ghastly atrocities, people who should have been consumed by bitterness and a lust for revenge, we witnessed how they spoke words of forgiveness, of generosity to their tormentors and we realized then that, yes, we have a capacity for evil, but, wonderfully, exhilaratingly, as I said before, we have this amazing capacity for good.

Early this year we visited Darfur – the descriptions do not tell half the story of the awfulness that we found there. We had a meeting with the internally displaced people and staggeringly they could laugh – what an amazing example of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of daunting conditions. The Muslim men wore white costumes – and they were spotless. It all testified to the wonder of the human spirit, the capacity to laugh, to cling to dignity and self respect, to refuse to see oneself as a victim, or to be pitied as one.

And then we were impressed by another feature of that depressing landscape – the wonder of the remarkable humanitarian workers. These were citizens of different lands most of whom could have led safe and comfortable lives in their homelands. But no, here they were, some retuning more than once in this bleak place, so utterly insecure, where they ran the risk of being abducted and woe betide the victim if it was a woman – running the gauntlet of sexual violation and worse.

A fantastic array of goodness

And yet here they were as they were to be found in so many other parts of the world which was hurting either through natural or man-made disaster. There they were with an amazing dedication and commitment making you feel proud to be a human being. And many of those you represent are found in this glorious company of humanitarian workers as doctors, nurses, ambulance workers – Wow, what a fantastic array of goodness, of compassion, of caring – continuing the Divine project of healing a broken and wounded world; making whole that which is alienated and hurting.

All of you in the healing enterprise are God’s collaborators in making this a better world – more compassionate, gentler, more caring, and more sharing. In the tradition of Abraham there is a notion that God deliberately made the world imperfect so that God could enlist us all in the business of making the world perfect.

When we were fighting against the viciousness of apartheid, we helped to sustain the morale and the hope of our people in what seemed an unequal struggle by reminding them that ours was a moral universe, that there was no way in which wrong, evil, injustice, oppression could ever have the last world. This was God’s world and God was in charge. Sometimes you wanted to whisper in God’s ear, “God, we know you are in charge – but why don’t you make it more obvious?”

Yes, wrong, evil will not have the last word. Goodness, compassion, love, justice, laughter, caring -- these are what will prevail, will triumph over their ghastly counterparts. Tyrants, dictators, perpetrators of injustice and oppression may strut about the stage as if they were invincible cocks of the walk. But as sure as anything, they will get their come-uppance; they will bite the dust ignominiously. That is the verdict of history – the tyrants, the despots, the upholders of apartheid,  – where are they now? No, we will not gloat.

I have sometimes imagined that when God looks down at the mess we have made of things, that God might wonder, “What ever got into me to create that lot?” and God weeps. And then God looks again at you and all those others who want to help God change this world to make it a better world and, hey, a smile begins to break over God’s face like the sun shining through the rain and God says, “Ja, that is why I created them, they are vindicating me.” And a little angel, have you seen a little angel? Goes and wipes the tears from God’s eyes.

And God says, “Please help me – please help me to realize my dream; that all my children will know that they are sisters and brothers, members of one family, the human family, God’s family – please help me, help me!”

No situation that cannot be transformed

It is evident from generations of witness that there is no situation that cannot be transformed. There is no person who is hopeless, that is without a hope and a remedy. There is no set of circumstances that cannot be turned about by human beings and their natural capacity for love. It is essential that the world see such ideas are put into action through the promises of the WHO, on behalf of all people, communities and nations. For we need each other to become truly free, to become human, and enjoy the spiritual well-being of our creation in relationship to God and each other.

When we review the right to health, we cannot help but notice that its global scope contains the hopes and aspirations of all the peoples of the world. It also calls upon the WHO to guard and guide the nations – the Member States, as you call them – protecting their citizens and guaranteeing the right to health for all people. It is a sacred and solemn covenant – a promise, if you would – that you are called upon to undertake. Let me thank you for your tenacious commitment and what this means in the lives of the more than 6 billion residents of this planet.

Health is not only freedom from suffering and illness, but according to your Constitution: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” These words enshrine the fundamental reason you are here and suggest something of what we share in our commitment to the world, together. Perhaps it would be good for us to include the recognition that there is an intrinsic relationship between God and humankind, which can be acknowledged as “spiritual well-being”? Perhaps one day this notion of well-being can be included in the WHO definition of health?

You are the guardians of the dream of "Health for "All". You have the opportunity and responsibility to lead the world into a healthy place. You are the enactors of justice: justice in the distribution of a country's wealth for health; justice to meet the Millennium Development Goals; justice to save the lives of your people and enable them to prosper and build healthy nations!
God is watching. The people are waiting."