Gröhe: "WHO has a key role to play in combating global health threats"
Federal Minister of Health, Hermann Gröhe, spoke to the World Health Assembly in Geneva
22 May 2017. Today, Federal Minister of Health, Hermann Gröhe, attended the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva. This year's priorities are the election of a new Director-General as well as the vote on the draft 2018 – 2019 Budget.
WHO has a key role to play in combating global health threats. This is why we need a strong and forceful WHO that, in the event of an international health crisis, is able to swiftly dispatch experts to the scene of the outbreak and coordinate international assistance. To fulfill this task, it will need sufficient personnel and funds from the newly established emergency fund. We will continue to support WHO, under its new leadership, as the custodian of global health.
During the general debate on Monday, the Federal Minister of Health, Hermann Gröhe, spoke of the joint efforts undertaken to strengthen health systems worldwide. Subsequently, Federal Minister Gröhe opened the side-event on the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) that Germany had organised jointly with Norway and Rwanda, within the framework of the WHA. CEPI is an international public-private partnership of states, foundations and pharmaceutical companies, the aim of which is to develop vaccinations against especially dangerous pathogens. Germany supports CEPI with 10 million euros from the funding resources at the disposal of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
The Federal Minister of Health, Hermann Gröhe, also attended a meeting of the 'Alliance of Champions'. The Alliance's goal is to draw great attention to the topic of antimicrobial resistance and lend it greater political significance.
In adopting the WHO's Global Action Plan in 2015, the WHO Member States committed to developing National Action Plans. Here, Germany has led the way with its Antibiotic Resistance Strategy (DART 2020) and supports the implementation of the Global Action Plan. At the WHA, Federal Minister Gröhe presented an interim report on the state of the DART 2020 implementation.
The 70th World Health Assembly is taking place from 22-31 May 2017 in Geneva. It is the highest decision-making body of the 194 WHO Member States. At this year's World Health Assembly, more than 4,000 delegates will be discussing the record number of 81 agenda items based on 69 reports. On 23 May, a new Director-General will be elected for the next five years.
WHA 2017 Live Webcast
Here you can access the Live Video Webcast of the 2017 World Health Assembly on the World Health Organisation's website.