The United Nations high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response is taking place next month. But health leaders are concerned the draft political declaration for that meeting, as it currently stands, lacks ambition.
The latest 14-page draft, seen by Devex, lacked the specifics health leaders have called for, such as a “Global Health Threats Council,” a commitment to fully and sustainably finance the Pandemic Fund, and a strong emphasis on monitoring and accountability.
Health leaders are banking on the meeting to galvanize high-level political support for strengthening global health security, including the ongoing process underway in Geneva to negotiate a pandemic accord, in anticipation of future pandemic-like health emergencies. A strong political declaration at the U.N. General Assembly can benefit that process, ensuring pandemics receive the highest political attention, beyond the agendas of health ministers.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
