Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza stressed that everyone should have access to a future COVID-19 vaccine at the end of his address at the 73rd World Health Assembly.
Global Public Good.
"The development of a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 is a fundamental challenge," Speranza said during the assembly, which opened on May 18. "We must work for the vaccine to be considered a global public good, a right for everyone and not a privilege for the few".
Reinforce WHO's Role.
He added that, in his message, he wanted to highlight "the importance of the WHO (World Health Organization) and the need to reinforce its central role, above all in a time of crisis. Stronger Agency.
"This means working together to construct a stronger agency, rethinking its role and its functions," he said.
Guided by Science.
"We must ensure that it is completely independent from external, political or financial influences and it is only guided by science.
"So it is important that the States contribute with human and financial resources with the sole aim of improving the preparation and response of the individual countries with the high-level technical and scientific support of the agency at the service of all individuals".
Video Conference.
For the first time, the 73rd World Health Assembly is taking place via video conference and has a two-day agenda.
Health Is an Investment.
"I appeal to all the countries of the world to take action so that the 2020 COVID pandemic never happens again," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"The pandemic has shown us that investing in health must be at the centre of every country's development.
"It is a necessity. Health is not a cost, it is an investment.
"Health is not a prize for development but a requirement for it.
"Never more than today have we needed a healtier, safer and more just world. And a strong WHO.
Warning.
Ghebreyesus also warned that "countries that move too fast run the risk of truly hampering their recovery". Inquiry.
On the opening day of the 73rd annual World Health Assembly, 116 countries said they supported a draft resolution presented by the European Union for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus.
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