Parliamentarians from across the globe gathered at the UNITE Global Summit in Berlin to sign a statement in support of the World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement.
The statement, signed by the President of UNITE, members of its board, and parliamentarians around the world, marks a significant commitment from parliamentarians to strengthen pandemic preparedness, response, and equitable access to health, says the WHO press note.
“Parliamentarians are the voice of the people and have a crucial responsibility in safeguarding public health,” said Ricardo Baptista Leite, President of UNITE. “The WHO Pandemic Agreement represents a historic opportunity to prevent pandemics and strengthen our global preparedness and response capabilities. By signing this statement, we are not only showing our support for the agreement but also pledging to ensure that its principles of equity, solidarity, and global cooperation are fully realized in every nation.”
The UNITE Global Summit, this year held in collaboration with the World Health Summit (WHS), is a high-level gathering with a unique convergence of global parliamentarians, civil society leaders, and health experts. The summit aims to translate discussions into actionable policy priorities focused on critical health challenges, it reads.
Qatar-WHO partnership
Meanwhile, Capturing and building on the experiences of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the State of Qatar and World Health Organization launched a new report entitled “Changing the Game: Strengthening Health and Well-Being through Sport Events” providing lessons learned and recommendations for staging healthy and safe mega and grassroots sporting events around the world.
The report is the product of the 3-year Sport for Health partnership established in 2021 by Qatar and WHO, in collaboration with FIFA and Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, to deliver and ensure the legacy of a healthy and safe FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
It was launched during a Ministerial event titled Strengthening Health and Well-being Through Sport Events, held in Doha during the ongoing 71st WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Committee.
The Sport for Health Partnership culminated in the staging of a range of health-related activities during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, dealing with health promotion (tobacco control, healthy diets, mental health, and physical activity), health security, and advocacy and communications.
