Speech by President von der Leyen at the seventy-seventh World Health Assembly, via video message

Speech by President von der Leyen

Honourable President of the World Health Assembly,
Dear Dr. Tedros,
Dear Ministers,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,

It's a real pleasure to address the seventy-seventh World Health Assembly. It brings together almost 200 countries, with one clear goal: to promote health and well-being around the world. They all share a strong commitment to multilateralism and solidarity. In this endeavour, you can count on the European Union as a strong ally and a reliable partner.

Dear friends, we all remember how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted our lives. It took a heavy toll on people, on our societies and economies. It impacted each and everyone of us. But we managed to overcome it. And this is thanks to the extraordinary efforts of health professionals. Thanks to the resilience and solidarity of so many citizens. Thanks to outstanding research and development of life-saving vaccines. And thanks to determined action and leadership at global level, including of this organisation, the WHO.

The European Union too has shown full commitment. In the past five years, we mobilised more funds and resources than ever before. We have taken immediate and concrete actions, with the World Health Organization as our key partner. One of these actions is the ambitious Team Europe initiative for regional and local vaccine manufacturing hubs in Africa. We are now expanding to South America and Asia. This is at the core of Europe's Global Health Strategy, one of the main pillars of Europe's Health Union. And it is the right way forward.

We all know that every crisis comes with opportunities. COVID-19 has given us a chance to reset our approach to public health. To come back stronger, and more united. To be better prepared, and more coordinated - within and between countries and globally. The way we govern our global health architecture is an essential element of this. We therefore remain committed to concluding a pandemic agreement that makes a real difference on the ground.

Ladies and gentlemen, preparedness goes far beyond the outbreak of a new pandemic. The challenges we face, regardless of where we live, are multiple. We face a climate crisis. We face the threat of antimicrobial resistance.We face a major global health workforce crisis. We have to build health systems that are robust and well-functioning. Only by working together, will we succeed in bringing better health and well-being to people across the globe, and create a safer and healthier world for future generations. Now is the moment to do this. I urge all of us to keep that in mind as we continue.

I wish you all good luck and success in your deliberations throughout this week. Let us be all for healthto deliver health for all. Thank you very much.

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