The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO), in partnership with the Lancet-SIGHT Commission on Peaceful Societies Through Health and Gender Equality, Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR), and Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (ADPHC), will host a webinar on pandemic preparedness and response.
The webinar will take an Eastern Mediterranean region perspective, particularly of those countries in the region affected by conflict. This event is in line with the work of the IPPR and inspired by the global health community’s ambition for a pandemic treaty.
Countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region have the opportunity to contribute to a stronger international system for the future and the ongoing global debate on pandemic framework convention. This regional “voice” can play an important role in advocating the global, regional and national efforts to build, strengthen and maintain strong health security, pandemic preparedness and readiness capacities to prevent future catastrophic health events such as COVID-19 pandemic.
The webinar will take place on Monday, 6 September between 11am–1pm CET, and will consist of two sessions.
1. Ministerial Session (11am–12pm). Participants include:
- Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean
- Dr Anders Nordstrom, Former Head of Secretariat, IPPPR & Sweden’s Ambassador for Global Health
- Dr Fawziya Abikar Nur, Minister of Health & Human Services, Somalia
- Mr Per Olsson Fridh, Minister for International Development Cooperation, Sweden
- Mr Abdul Rahman bin Mohamad Al-Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, United Arab Emirates
- Dr Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Pakistan
- Dr Ala Alwan, Representative, Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies
- Dr Thoraya Obaid, Member of the IPPPR
- Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet
2. Session on the International Framework Convention on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (12pm–1pm). Participants include:
- Dr Rick Brennan, Regional Emergency Director, WHO/ EMRO
- Professor Gavin Yamey, Director, Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, Duke University
- Dr Alexandra Phelan, Center of Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University
- Dr Jaouad Mahjour, Assistant Director General, WHO
- Mr Matar Saeed Rashed Al Nuaimi, Director General, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre
- Professor Peter Friberg, Director, Swedish Institute for Global Health Transformation (SIGHT)
Register here.
Photocredit: Istockphoto
