On Sunday evening the 12th World Health Summit was officially opened – due to COVID-19 fully digital. All sessions are exclusively online.
Opening speaker Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: “No-one is safe from COVID-19; no-one is safe until we are all safe from it. Even those who conquer the virus within their own borders remain prisoners within these borders until it is conquered everywhere.”
Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission President made clear, that the hallmark of the European Health Union should be, that all pull together: “I believe this can be a test case for true global health compact. The need for leadership is clear and I believe the European Union must assume this responsibility.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for worldwide solidarity: “Developed countries must support health systems in countries that are short of resources.” We were not prepared, Mr. Guterres said, and this was a hard lesson: “The Covid-19 pandemic is the greatest crisis of our age.”
“A strong health system is a resilient health system,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). “Health systems and preparedness are not only an investment in the future, they are the foundation of our response today.”
The importance of cooperation between politics, science, business and civil society across all borders is particularly evident during this period, said Detlev Ganten, president and founder of the World Health Summit: „The Covid 19 Pandemic is making it clear to everybody that solutions can only be found by overcoming personal, institutional, national interests. More than ever, the name of the game is international cooperation and solidarity.”
Further speakers at the opening event:
•Winnie Byanyima, Direktorin, UNAIDS
•Paul Hudson, CEO, Sanofi
•Nanette Cocero, Global President of Pfizer Vaccines, Pfizer
•Charles Ibingira International President 2020, World Health Summit
