Statement by Ms Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, at the 70th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe

14-09-2020

Dear Dr Tedros,

Dear Dr Kluge, Dear Hans,

Dear Ministers, delegates,

The past months have shown more than ever how important global responsibility and solidarity are. How indispensable both are in order to manage the biggest public health crisis humanity has faced in a hundred years.

It is only through multilateralism that we can bring about global solutions to problems that touch each and every one of us. The cooperation between the EU and WHO is a cornerstone of this framework: two organizations that have both shown global leadership in the spirit of solidarity in their every action since the onset of the pandemic.

I want to begin by thanking WHO/Europe and specially Hans, for the excellent collaboration over the past few months. The WHO plays a key leadership role at both the global and European level. And I want to use this opportunity to express the European Commission’s support for the valuable work you do.

I welcome WHO’s European work programme presented today for the period 2020¬–2025, which complements well the Commission’s work and provides an excellent framework to improve health in our Region.

The themes of the four flagship initiatives: immunization, digital health, mental health, and behavioural insights will enable us to build on the lessons learnt from the pandemic and support Europe’s recovery. These initiatives offer good opportunities for synergies in common priority areas.

I take a very topical example: vaccination. We need to join forces. Whether it is in utilizing and promoting existing vaccines; fighting disinformation and vaccine hesitancy, or our efforts to develop a vaccine to fight the coronavirus globally.

This is the only way we can make a difference.

Digital health is a priority of the Commission and I welcome the synergies in the European programme of work. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how important digital solutions are and has, in some aspects, accelerated the digital health agenda.

The challenge of mental health is very close to my heart. As a mental health professional, I have witnessed first hand the impact on families and patients affected. The COVID-19 pandemic has made our citizens even more vulnerable to stress, anxiety and psychological suffering.

We need to do more to become the voices for those who have no voice themselves.

We are strong supporters of a health-in-all policies approach. If we want to tackle antimicrobial resistance, chronic diseases and address the impact of cancer, we need to look at health holistically.

The EU has shown and will continue to show its unwavering commitment and global leadership in these unprecedented times. We have authorised treatments, coordinated clinical trials, issued clinical guidelines with the ECDC in close cooperation with WHO, and facilitated the supply of Personal Protective Equipment for our frontline health care workers.

For the benefit of citizens globally, we have committed €400 million to the COVAX Facility in order to ensure vaccines for low- and middle-income countries. We hosted the Coronavirus Global Response pledging initiative, which has raised €16 billion to develop and deploy therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines.

We have stood next to WHO at every step of the way and we will continue to do so.

Ladies and gentlemen, today our future cooperation is based on even stronger foundations.

I hope that I can be with you in person at next year’s Regional Committee and look forward to the date that together we can eliminate COVID-19 and tackle the long-term health challenges in our Region.

Thank you, and I wish you every success in your deliberations.