13 April 2022 – UNITE Global Parliamentarians Network and the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank & IMF organized the Parliamentary roundtables of The International Forum on Global Health. Focus was about “The role of parliamentarians in promoting pandemic preparedness and response and investments for resilient health systems”. Hon. Sandrine Mörch (France), PAM Vice-President, addressed the high-level panel.
In her speech, Hon. Mörch thanked the organizers for their continuous work to find new manners to fight and counter infectious diseases.” There is a need to constantly improve the exchange of information. The cooperation among parliamentarians is essential to increase awareness and capacity of parliaments on the essential principles of pandemic preparedness and response. There is also a need to invest in stronger and more resilient health systems for the future”.
This event was the occasion for PAM to reiterate its call for the implementation of a Universal Health Coverage (UHC) not to let anyone on the side, including the migrant and refugee population, especially now with a sudden wave in Europe of 3.5 million refugees as a direct consequence of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. UHC will be debated during a Global Social Summit in 2025, as requested by the UN Secretary General. Hon Mörch added that “PAM is supporting this initiative, but let’s not wait until 2025 to make progress”.
Hon. Mörch continued by explaining that “Parliamentarians have a very crucial role to play in ensuring that health systems are more robust, resilient and ready to face new pandemics.” Hon. Mörch concluded by saying that “It is only by joining forces that we will succeed in creating the necessary conditions for preventing crises linked to pandemics.”
PAM is looking forward to continuing its work with UNITE, with which an MoU has been signed in November 2021, in order to join forces and to ensure that parliamentarians are fully informed and become agents of positive change on all the issues that were debated this day.//