Gro Harlem Brundtland



Gro Harlem Brundtland (born 20 April 1939) is a Norwegian politician, former leader of the Norwegian Labor Party, former prime minister of Norway and former director-general of the World Health Organization (1998-2003). She also served as Director of the United Nations' Brundtland Committee encouraging sustainable development, and led the unsuccessful "Yes" campaign in the 1994 Norwegian European Union membership referendum.

Quotes

 * Det er typisk norsk å være god.
 * It's typically Norwegian to be good.
 * New Years Eve Speech (January 1, 1992)


 * [ 20th Century has been called] the century of extremes, [...] in which human vices reached unfathomable depths. [She notes that it has been] a century of great progress [and in some places of] unprecedented economic growth. [At the same time, however, poor urban areas face a bleak future of] overcrowding and a disease pattern linked to poverty and an unhealthy environment.
 * Awake! magazine 1999, 12/8, article: The Most Profound Changes.


 * Tobacco is a communicated disease – communicated through marketing.
 * Sanam Luang, Bangkok, May 2000, cited in "Spotlight on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: Article 5.3 Tobacco Industry Interference" (page 2).


 * The global toll of mental illness and neurological disorders is staggering.
 * Note: A WHO report revealed that mental disorders are “among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide.
 * Awake! magazine 7/22 2002.


 * Nurses, as the key health professionals, are in a unique position to act as powerful advocates for a healthy planet. [...] As nurses and midwives already constitute up to 80% of the qualified health workforce in most national health systems, they represent a potentially powerful force for bringing about the necessary changes to meet the needs of Health for All in the 21st century. Indeed, their contribution to health services covers the whole spectrum of health care [...] It is clear that nurses are the backbone of most health care teams.
 * At the International Council of Nurses Centennial Conference in June 1999. Awake! magazine 2000, 11/8


 * We have an opportunity to launch a massive effort against infectious diseases.
 * Awake! magazine 2003, 10/22