WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom attends G20 summit

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom participates in the 17th G20 Summit, in Bali, Indonesia, which takes place on Tuesday (15) and Wednesday (16).

Adhanom arrived at Bali this Monday (14th).

“I have just arrived in Bali, Indonesia to join the G20 Leaders Summit. Looking forward to productive discussions on pandemic prevention and preparedness, including through a Pandemic Agreement; as well as the health impact of climate change and food and energy insecurity,” the WHO director-general said in a Twitter post.

Pandemic preparation

The WHO argues that health financing is a long-term investment, not an expense. The WHO chief’s participation at the meeting highlights the complex and global challenges surrounding pandemic preparedness and response.

In light of the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 194 WHO Member States have established a process to draft and negotiate a new convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response.

According to the WHO, the decision was driven by the need to ensure that communities, governments and all sectors of society are better prepared and protected in order to prevent and respond to future pandemics.

The great loss of human life, the damage to families and societies in general, and the impact on development are among the factors cited by governments to support the need for lasting action to prevent a repetition of such crises.

At the heart of the proposed agreement is the need to ensure equity both in access to the tools needed to prevent pandemics – including technologies such as vaccines, personal protective equipment, information and knowledge, and in access to health care for all people.