SYDNEY — The 2019 Global Health Security conference, held in Sydney on June 18-20, brought together more than 800 members of the global health security community from 65 countries to share knowledge and engage in discussion on the science, policy, and practices that can improve global health security.
In a video introduction to the conference, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said health security was a shared responsibility — and it was important for all countries to scale up and invest in prevention and preparedness.
“WHO’s recent report to the global preparedness monitoring board underscored the urgency of all countries in scaling up and financing country health emergency preparedness and the implementation of the international health regulations,” he said. “Strong political leadership is essential. WHO calls on all countries to take ownership for national health security by investing in stronger systems that can prevent, detect, and respond rapidly to emergencies.”