Lyon conference of EU foreign, health ministers on global health

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Wednesday in Lyon attended a joint conference of EU foreign and health ministers on global health. Representing the Ministry of Health was State Secretary Željko Plazonić.
 
The conference focused on the further development of the EU health strategy and health-related foreign policy based on the EU Strategic Compass, the UN Agenda 2030 on sustainable development and the experience in combating COVID-19. It underscored the need to consolidate multilateral health architecture with the important role of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
 
The ministers also discussed stepping up support to developing countries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, notably through the transfer of technologies and boosting health capacities.
 
“Educated and qualified labour is crucial for the recovery and strengthening of healthcare systems. We need to cooperate closely to ensure adequate and equal access to knowledge at the regional and global level. In this regard, we encourage the WHO initiative to relaunch the training of students from the Western Balkans and Africa at the Andrija Štampar School of Public Health,” Grlić Radman said, reflecting on the need to support the developing countries that had been affected by the pandemic the most.
 
“We underlined our commitment to solidarity through even distribution of vaccines by initially donating doses to our closest Western Balkan neighbours. Furthermore, we continually contribute to strengthening the capacity of their healthcare systems through financial support and the exchange of knowledge,” he added.
 
Plazonić reflected on the key role of health workers in ensuring the viability of healthcare systems, stressing that investing in the healthcare workforce can help preserve the resilience of healthcare systems.
 
The state secretary emphasized the importance of advancing the coordination and cooperation among EU member states in the area of global health, along with strengthening the EU’s global role. In addition, he highlighted the importance of promoting vaccination at all levels as well as healthcare digitalization to ensure optimal service.

Press releases