Davos: Minister calls for global cooperation against future pandemics
The fight against pandemics must encompass actions beyond health, engaging the political sphere to speed up emergency measures.
It is also essential that this response is shared between countries, enabling the establishment of social protection systems and industrial complexes capable of producing sufficient inputs to support economically disadvantaged countries.
On Wednesday (Jan. 17), Brazilian Health Minister Nísia Trindade advocated for these measures during a panel discussion in Davos, Switzerland, on how the world should prepare for future pandemics. She is participating in the 54th World Economic Forum.
Political response
According to the minister, while strengthening the health sector is paramount, it should be complemented by the involvement of other internal and external sectors within countries.
"In addition to factors related to establishing resilient health systems, the timing of political responses is crucial, both at national and global levels during a pandemic," she stated.
In the context of Brazil, the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic was highly inadequate, considering the capacity of the country’s health system, Nísia Trindade declared.
"The country's response to this pandemic was inadequate, as evidenced by its share of global COVID deaths at 11 percent, despite representing only around 4 percent of the world's population," she argued.
Development
The minister believes that investing in science, technology, and innovation is essential to effectively manage pandemic situations.
Reducing inequalities between countries, particularly in the development and production of vaccines, medicines, tests, and diagnostics, is also crucial, she notes.
"For this reason, we are proposing, as part of the G20 framework, an alliance to promote local and regional production," said Trindade.
Discussions aimed at implementing such instruments to combat pandemics should be conducted within the framework of the World Health Organization (WHO).
