Strengthening WHO’s global emergency preparedness and response

THE WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, INC.
L’ASSOCIATION MEDICALE MONDIALE, INC
ASOCIACION MEDICA MUNDIAL, INC
Centre International de Bureaux FEIN : 13-2566243
Immeuble A “Keynes” Website : www.wma.net Postal Address :
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01210 FERNEY-VOLTAIRE Fax : (33) 4 50 40 59 37 01210 FERNEY-VOLTAIRE Cedex
France E-mail address : wma@wma.net France
18 January 2021
WHO 148th
Executive Board session
Item 14.2 – Strengthening WHO’s global emergency preparedness and response
Distinguished Delegates,
Thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the World Medical Association, which
represents more than 9 million physicians globally.
We welcome report from the Directorate-General on strengthening WHO’s global emergency
preparedness and response, and emphasize the recent Health Assembly call in the spirit of unity and
solidarity, for the intensification of cooperation and collaboration at all levels in order to contain
and control outbreaks and mitigate their impacts.
In the pursuit of your reflections, including for the development of a new sustainable model to
underpin WHO’s leadership in pandemic and epidemic preparedness and response, we strongly
recommend taking into consideration the critical challenges of health personnel on the frontline. We
emphasize, in particular, the ethical dilemmas that health professionals experience in emergency
contexts that include, but are not limited to, the protection of civilians and healthcare capacities and
the respect of medical neutrality. These complex issues are essential and must be incorporated in the
discussion to develop an adequate public health emergency policy. To this end, we urgently call for
the promotion and implementation of the Ethical Principles of Health Care in Times of Armed
Conflict and other Emergencies, endorsed by civilian and military healthcare organizations in 2015.
We emphasize once again the following additional key matters to be addressed:
– Implementing the UN Security Council Resolution 2286, condemning attacks and threats
against medical personnel and facilities in conflict situations and enforcing adequate
accountability mechanism against perpetrators.
– Developing adequate education for the health workforce to ensure rapid detection and response
to health emergencies and prevention of epidemics and pandemics.
– Providing to WHO the necessary support to fulfil its leadership role in documenting attacks on
health personnel and facilities.
Thank you.