World parliamentarians back WHO Pandemic Agreement

BERLIN: In a significant move towards strengthening pandemic preparedness, response, and ensuring equitable access to healthcare worldwide, parliamentarians from across the globe have recently signed a statement endorsing the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement at the UNITE Global Summit held in Berlin.

The declaration has also been endorsed by the board members and President of UNITE, Ricardo Baptista Leite, who said, "Parliamentarians serve as the voice of the people and play a pivotal role in protecting public health,” adding that the WHO Pandemic Agreement presents a historic chance to enhance global pandemic preparedness.

“By signing this statement, we commit to implementing its principles of equity, solidarity, and global cooperation in all nations," the UNITE head added.

Held in collaboration with the World Health Summit (WHS), this year’s UNITE Global Summit brought together global legislators, civil society representatives, and health experts to translate discussions into actionable policy priorities.

The summit focused on four key pillars: Human Rights & Equitable Access to Health, Global Health Architecture & Security, Strengthening Healthcare Systems, and Sustainable Financing for Health.

A key highlight of the summit was the signing of the Global Parliamentary Statement, which underscored the crucial role of parliamentarians in ensuring global health security.

The WHO Pandemic Agreement, currently under negotiation by member states, seeks to address the gaps exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and other health crises.

The agreement aims to improve global collaboration on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, with the newly signed statement underscoring parliamentarians' commitment to protecting citizens by ensuring fair access to vaccines, treatments, medical supplies, and essential healthcare information.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the endorsement, stating, "The WHO Pandemic Agreement is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a stronger, fairer, and more prepared global health system. By supporting this statement, parliamentarians are pledging to safeguard lives from future pandemics and ensure fair access to health tools, especially for countries with limited resources."

The Global Parliamentary Statement underscores four key commitments. Firstly, it emphasises the importance of placing equity at the forefront by ensuring fair access to pandemic-related health resources, prioritising those in low-resource countries based on public health needs. Secondly, it calls for global solidarity through enhanced international cooperation aimed at building resilient health systems capable of preventing and effectively responding to pandemics. The third commitment focuses on legislative action, advocating for the ratification and implementation of the Pandemic Agreement within national legislatures.

Lastly, it stresses the need to combat misinformation by equipping communities with evidence-based health information to counter falsehoods.

Baptista Leite emphasised the importance of a unified approach, saying, "The challenges we face require a global response. No single country can tackle pandemics alone. The WHO Pandemic Agreement is vital for equipping all nations with the tools and resources needed to respond to future health threats."

The agreement's success hinges on securing widespread support from governments, global health organisations, and civil society. It reflects a shared understanding that pandemics transcend borders, necessitating global solidarity to protect the health and well-being of all.

The agreement also focuses on sustainable financing, research and development, and capacity-building efforts to ensure effective responses to health emergencies.

Parliamentarians pledged to collaborate with WHO and other international bodies to ensure the Pandemic Agreement is implemented effectively, benefiting all countries, particularly those with fewer resources.

The signing of the statement in Berlin is expected to galvanise global parliamentary action, promoting international cooperation and solidarity in the fight against future pandemics.