The European Council has commended Zambia for supporting the decision of the 74th session of the World Health Assembly to develop a World Health Organisation (WHO) convention agreement on pandemic preparedness and response.
European Council President Charles Michel expressed confidence that Zambia and the international community would use the November 2021 special session of the health assembly as an opportunity to take bold and decisive actions at global level to address health threats and prevent future pandemics.
“I take this opportunity to thank you for your country’s support on the decision of the assembly to prioritise the assessment of the benefits of developing a WHO convention agreement or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response, also known as a Treaty on pandemics,” Mr. Michel said in his congratulatory message to President Edgar Lungu.
He said he was looking forward to the European Council working with Zambia in addressing any outstanding issues to pave way for the commencement of intergovernmental negotiations for a legally binding international treaty which will be firmly rooted in the WHO constitution so as to reform the global health architecture.
This is contained in a press statement issued to ZANIS today by President Lungu’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations at State House, Isaac Chipampe.
The 74th session of the World Health Assembly was held in Geneva, Switzerland from 24th to 31st May 2021.
The World Health Assembly (WHA), which is held annually in Geneva, is the decision-making body of WHO, which focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by Executive Board.
