Global health security preparedness remains essential: Bali meet

Senior health officials, experts and international institutions have prioritised global health security preparedness in the wake of new epidemic threats such as Zika infection.

At the Bali meet ending Wednesday, they also stressed on building country capacity and implementing the International Health Regulations (IHR) for a safe and secure world from infectious diseases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) convened the three-day ‘High-level Stakeholders Meeting on Advancing Global Health Security’ in Bali, Indonesia.

 It brought together about 200 high-ranking officials from national governments, various international and financial institutions, and other UN agencies.

They agreed on the sustainable financing mechanisms to build core capacities required by the IHR, and strengthen national, regional and global preparedness.

Member of the Parliament Prof Dr Habibe Millat, also vice-president of Bangladesh Medical Research Council, represented Bangladesh and highlighted the country’s preparedness  to tackle dangerous infectious diseases, said a statement.

The meeting was the follow-up of the last year’s Cape Town meet with key multisectoral partners who discussed ‘Building Health Security Beyond Ebola’.

Indonesia then offered to host this follow-up meeting to take forward issues of  global health security.

By this time, world had to deal with Zika virus outbreak which is causing concerns particularly in Brazil ahead of Rio Olympics.

According to WHO, the magnitude and frequency of disease outbreaks, new emerging risks such as Zika, the expansion of known diseases like cholera, the re-emergence of others such as yellow fever, and the unprecedented scale of humanitarian emergencies such as earthquakes and typhoons clearly demonstrate the urgent need for better preparedness.