President Ali tells UN, hopes further discussions will lead to more effective and equitable crisis response

WHILE the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic highlighted some inequities among countries, it also brought to light the importance of the interconnectedness of the world, and now, more than ever, global leaders must establish a structure that will see nations having equal access to emergency medical response.

This is according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who, on Wednesday, joined several world leaders at the ongoing sitting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Dr. Ali, while representing the 14 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states, told a high-level meeting on pandemic prevention at UN that all leaders share a responsibility in the fight against crises such as pandemics.

“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and further exacerbated the stark inequities and inequalities among countries. We saw severe illness and loss of life, disruption of education, and grave impacts on trade and global supply chains, economic crisis and widespread job losses,” he said adding:

“We must ensure that people everywhere have unhindered equitable access to vaccines and other medical counter-measures, including medicines, diagnostics, therapeutics and health technologies and other health products.”

He reminded that the CARICOM region, among other developing states, experienced first-hand, how persons in vulnerable environments suffered due to the pandemic.

Along with the many economic shocks that came along with the pandemic, the region also suffered a tremendous human resources loss with a concerning percentage of its skilled workforce migrating.

As such President Ali stressed the need to build a strong health architecture that recognises the importance of expanding international co-operation and strengthening multilateralism

“CARICOM welcomes political declarations, recognition of the need to strengthen health systems and support developing countries and building both local and regional research, development and manufacturing capacities.”