Tribune News Network
New York
The State of Qatar participated in the high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response at the United Nations General Assembly, which concluded yesterday evening at the General Assembly headquarters in New York.
The State of Qatar was represented at the meeting by Minister of Public Health HE Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al-Kuwari, Minister of Public Health and Chairperson of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari affirmed Qatar’s unwavering commitment to a comprehensive, equitable and inclusive approach in strengthening national, regional and global preparedness for epidemics and health emergencies, with WHO at the heart of this collective approach.”
In her speech at the meeting, Her Excellency added that the State of Qatar’s commitment to this pivotal issue and to making progress in it also comes through the current presidency of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization, stressing full readiness to cooperate, exchange experiences and formulate innovative paths to enhance our collective resilience in the face of health emergencies.
Her Excellency stressed the need to strengthen the global structure for preparedness, response and resilience, adding: “The State of Qatar appreciates the efforts led by the member states of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to draft a WHO convention on epidemic prevention, preparedness and response. The State shall also actively participate in the deliberations on the proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005), taking into account the principles of equity, sovereignty and solidarity.”
“Sustainable leadership is at the heart of our collective success, and this meeting is an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of Member States to a unified, impartial and comprehensive approach towards strengthening preparedness, prevention and response to epidemics and health emergencies,” she said.
“Balancing sovereignty and mutual accountability among WHO Member States is pivotal, and the Comprehensive Health and Preparedness Review provides a voluntary and transparent mechanism that enhances intergovernmental dialogue on national capacities for health emergencies.”
She also explained that the Pandemic Fund has emerged as a driving force motivating national capacities to prepare for health emergencies, with low- and lower-middle-income countries benefiting from more than 75 percent of the selected proposals.
“As we face these challenges, it is important to take an integrated ecosystem approach that focuses on collaborative surveillance, community protection, safe and scalable care, access to countermeasures, and emergency coordination,” Her Excellency said, reiterating the importance of intensive cooperation between international partners and all stakeholders, while recognising the impact of a variety of key actors in the global health era.
The High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response formulated a political declaration that aims at “mobilising political will at the national, regional, and international levels for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
