Strengthening WHO preparedness for and response to health emergencies

WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION MEDICALE MONDIALE
ASOCIACION MEDICA MUNDIAL
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
75th
World Health Assembly Session
May 2022
Item 16.2 Strengthening WHO preparedness for and response to health emergencies
Honorable Chairperson, Distinguished Delegates,
The current pandemic demonstrates the acute inequities in access to lifesaving tools and treatments.
The International Health Regulation alone cannot ensure effective, equitable global response and
protect enough the health workforce.
The WMA, representing 9 million physicians globally, supports the development of a new
international instrument on pandemic preparedness based on principles of equity and human rights.
A crucial part of this instrument must be to invest and strengthening the health workforce.
The instrument should act as a global public good. It needs to be appropriately resourced and
sustainably financed to meet its goals. The instrument making process should be participatory and
transparent to ensure that all relevant stakeholders are adequately consulted and heard, while also
striving to shield the process from undue influence from commercial interests.
Finally, the WMA strongly condemns the increasing incidents of violence against healthcare
worldwide and calls for the urgent protection of health personnel and facilities.
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