28 September 2023 High-level forum: Pandemics – no time for neglect

    The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) plan to convene a dedicated high-level forum entitled “Pandemics – no time for neglect” on 28 September 2023. The forum will be held in Berlin. Together, we will discuss necessary actions and political priorities regarding pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response as well as financing resilient health systems.

    Live stream Follow the conference starting at 11:30 CEST, 28 September 2023

    Logo: Pandemics – no time for neglect

    Documents

    Cover: Programme High-Level Forum: Pandemics – no time for neglect

    Agenda

    High-Level Forum: Pandemics – no time for neglect

    PDF | 09/2023 | 635 KB, 2 Pages
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    Cover: Speakers’ Booklet High-Level Forum: Pandemics – no time for neglect

    Speakers’ Booklet

    High-Level Forum: Pandemics – no time for neglect

    PDF | 09/2023 | 995 KB, 11 Pages
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    Still from the video "In pandemics there is no time for neglect"

    Video In pandemics there is no time for neglect

    We need to enable the investments made specifically for COVID-19 during the acute phase of the pandemic to benefit other areas of healthcare (for example neglected tropical diseases) and to contribute to achieving Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Agenda

    10:30–11:30 Registration and coffee
    11.30–11.50

    Welcome addresses

    • Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development
    • Karl Lauterbach, Federal Minister of Health
    11.50–13.00

    Panel discussion: Financing resilient health systems and pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response

    • Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany
    • Karl Lauterbach, Federal Minister of Health, Germany
    • Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
    • Jean Kaseya, Director General, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
    • Carolyn Reynolds, Co-Founder Pandemic Action Network
    13.00–14.00Lunch break
    14.00–14.15

    Keynote speech: Vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics – equitable access, regional manufacturing and risk communication

    • Jeremy Farrar, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization (WHO)
    14.15–15.00

    Panel discussion: Vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics – equitable access, regional manufacturing and risk communication

    • Amadou Sall, Director, Institut Pasteur of Dakar
    • Girija Sankar, Head of Neglected Tropical Diseases, Christian Blind Mission
    • Cornelia Betsch, Professor for health communication, University Erfurt
    • Yuan Qiong Hu, Senior Legal and Policy Advisor of Access to Medicines Campaign, Médecins Sans Frontières
    • Thomas Cueni, Director General, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) | virtual participation

    15.00–15.15

    Keynote speech: Integrated surveillance and public health intelligence, data exchange

    • Jean Kaseya, Director General, Africa Centres for Disease Control
    15.15–16.00

    Panel discussion: Integrated surveillance and public health intelligence, data exchange

    • Chikwe Ihekweazu, Assistant Director-General Health Emergency Intelligence and Surveillance Systems, World Health Organization (WHO)
    • Simon Antara, Director, African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET)
    • Marion Koopmans, Head of the Erasmus University Medical Center Department of Viroscience | virtual participation
    • Pilar Hernández, Managing Director, SORMAS Foundation
    • Johanna Hanefeld, Head of the Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute (RKI)

    End of virtual broadcast of the event

    16.00–16.30Coffee break
    16.30–17.45

    Parallel sessions:

    Breakout sessions with a focus on pandemic prevention (only on-site in Berlin)

    Session 1: Health system strengthening: a prerequisite for pandemic prevention

    • Douglas Noble, Associate Director, Public Health Emergencies Preparedness and Response, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

    Session 2: Human-animal interface: spill-over prevention

    • Fabian Leendertz, Director of the Helmholtz-Institute for One Health

    Session 3: Water, sanitation, hygiene for infection prevention

    • Helen Hamilton, Policy Lead Health at WaterAid & Member of the German WASH Network
    17.45–18.00

    Wrap-up and closing

    • Axel Klaphake, Director Economic and Social Development, Digitalisation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

    Context

    As the acute response to Covid-19 is coming to an end, we observe a drop in public and political attention to pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Multiple other global crises, which also demand attention and put additional stress on public budgets, especially in low and middle income countries, amplify this development. But the next pandemic might be just ahead of us. Scientists forecast a growing risk of future pandemics due to population density, mobility, climate change, and biodiversity loss, making continued efforts for prevention and preparedness ever more important. There is no time for neglect.

    Our efforts need to take into account the Global South’s political priorities, financial scope and need for specific pandemic preparedness measures. We need to enable the investments made specifically for COVID-19 during the acute phase of the pandemic to benefit other areas of healthcare (e.g. neglected tropical diseases) and to contribute to achieving Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. Investments in health – and especially in pandemic prevention and preparedness – generate a very high return, and focusing solely on the immediate cost would be short-sighted.

    Are our health systems ready for the next health crisis?

    As at: 26/09/2023