The WHO is concerned about declining containment of the coronavirus in many countries. G20 health and finance ministers discuss future pandemics in Indonesia.
The G20 countries want to better arm themselves for future pandemics and react more quickly to mass diseases with a permanent fund.
The planned Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) was to be the focus of a meeting of health and finance ministers from the coalition of major developed and emerging economies in Indonesia’s Yogyakarta on Tuesday. The island nation of Indonesia holds the G20 presidency this year.
Five countries and the European Union have already pledged $1.1 billion (€1 billion) to the fund, said Nadia Tarmizi, spokeswoman for the Indonesian Health Ministry. “Our goal is for all G20 countries to pledge contributions to the fund because we want to mobilize $15 billion (€14.2 billion),” she said. The talks were to begin in the evening (local time).
WHO chief: Pandemic is not over
The deliberations began on Monday with a meeting of the G20 health ministers, which was also attended by the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He urgently warned against slacking off in the fight against the virus. “The perception that the pandemic is over is misplaced,” emphasized the Ethiopian. His authority is still very concerned that “a lack of corona tests and sequencing blinds us to the development of the virus”.
Representatives of Western countries once again condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moscow’s actions have put undue strain on the global health architecture and food security, said Deputy Secretary of Health Andrea Palm. Russia also destroyed health facilities in Ukraine and attacked buildings where innocent civilians, including children, had taken refuge.
Russia’s Deputy Health Minister Oleg Salagay accused the participants of “politicizing” the meeting. He emphasized: “We ask our colleagues to stay within our mandate and to discuss health care.”
At the end of October, the G20 health ministers will meet for further talks in Bali – shortly before the start of the G20 summit meeting of heads of state and government, which will take place on November 15th and 16th on the popular holiday island.
Source: Stern
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