The Minister of Health, Carla Vizzotti, called for the relaunch of a post-pandemic global health agenda, which “demands more regional integration, more cooperation, more development and, above all, more solidarity and empathy”, and called for redoubling efforts so that all countries have doses of vaccines against the coronavirus, within the framework of the 75th World Health Assembly, it was reported this Monday.
The holder of the Health portfolio spoke this Monday at the second session of the 75th World Health Assembly, which takes place in Geneva, Switzerland, in which he highlighted, after the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the need to relaunch a global health agenda “which demands more regional integration, more cooperation, more development and, above all, more solidarity and empathy” and assured that “Only in this way can we strengthen the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the post-pandemic world”it was officially reported.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Health, Vizzotti also called for redoubling efforts so that all countries have doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
“There are still countries that have not had access to these supplies and that have low vaccination rates,” Vizzotti said.adding that “this represents a moral failure of the multilateral and regional cooperation system that we must correct immediately and take into account for future emergencies.”
In this sense, the minister fought for the strengthening of regional capacities for the production of critical supplies such as medicines and vaccines, and proudly recalled that Argentina was selected by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a node in the region of Americas for the production of mRNA vaccines, the official statement specified.
Given that for the first time since the start of the pandemic the Assembly is being held in person at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Vizzotti reflected on the importance of “Let’s take the time to look back, see the road traveled and remember it so that no one can ever again say that health is not a priority.”
The minister highlighted two key axes of the national health agenda that the President of the Nation has announced: the first is the Federal Strategy for the Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health and Problematic Consumptionwith an approach with a human rights perspective and respect for gender and diversity.
“This is a challenge that involves transversal, intersectoral and community work. We are convinced that there is no health without mental health and there is no mental health without social justice and we appreciate the support of WHO/PAHO”, express.
On the other hand, Vizzotti indicated that the integration of the Health System is another of the priorities established by the president “with the objective that each Argentine and Argentine have equal access to quality benefits regardless of their place of residence and their health coverage, making the system as a whole more efficient, and including a medication policy in accordance with the current situation. ”.
The work agenda continued with a meeting of Mercosur Health Ministers organized by Paraguay, which holds the bloc’s pro-tempore presidency, and with bilateral meetings with the Chilean Health Minister, María Begoña Yarza Sáez; the Secretary of Health and Social Welfare of the United Kingdom, Sajid Javid; and the Deputy Director General of WHO, RAM Division, Hanan Balkhy.
On Sunday, Vizzotti participated in the opening of the Assembly and held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Haiti, Alex Larsen; from Peru, Jorge Antonio López Peña; from Spain, Carolina Darias; and from Canada, Jean-Yves Duclos, with the aim of advancing in a strengthening agenda, both regional and bilateral.
To close the first day, Vizzotti attended the celebration of 15 years of the global health agency, Unitaid, the statement added.
The World Health Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the WHO, which brings together delegations from its 194 Member Statesin order to determine and supervise the financial policies of the organization and to review and adopt the program budget.
This year, the Assembly is convening again in person between May 22 and 28 under the slogan “Health for peace, peace for health”.
