ZAGREB, 21 May (Hina) - Investment in healthcare is not a cost but a strategic investment in our shared security, stability, and progress, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković at the World Health Assembly in Geneva.
Let us unite our efforts to build a future where every person, in every part of the world, has access to the care they need and deserve, said Plenković, reminding the audience of the words of Dr Andrija Štampar, that the issue of public health and work towards its advancement should be everyone's task.
Adequate, reliable, and long-term financing is key to enabling the World Health Organization (WHO) to effectively lead, coordinate, and meet its global health objectives by providing timely responses to emergencies and offering assistance where it is most needed, the prime minister said.
The WHO member states today adopted the historic Pandemic Agreement. The pact ensures that medicines, therapy, and vaccines will be globally available when the next pandemic occurs. It also requires manufacturers participating in the agreement to allocate 20% of their vaccines, medicines, and tests to the WHO during a pandemic to ensure that even poorer countries have access.
Plenković said in a statement that the aim of this agreement was better cooperation, recognition, and quicker responses.
I believe it is high quality. It was adopted practically by consensus, which we believe is very good, he added.
Today, in a world of increasing uncertainty and inequality, it is our shared responsibility to preserve and strengthen the central role of the World Health Organization as the leading authority on global health, he underscored.
Our active support for the WHO's pandemic agreement reflects our commitment to better preparedness, prevention, and response to future health challenges, the prime minister said.
Croatia is determined in its commitment to building a safer and more resilient world, he pointed out.
I am proud of the fact that this shared vision continues to be built on the legacy of the prominent Croatian Dr Andrija Štampar, one of the founders of the WHO and the first President of the World Health Assembly, the prime minister noted.
Recent crises have provided us with key lessons. We must remain aware of the diverse and comprehensive nature of health threats, whether caused by human activities, emerging risks, or natural phenomena. In a world of interconnected risks, only coordinated global action can bring about lasting solutions, he said.
In recent years, Croatia has played a proactive role in strengthening preparedness for health emergencies, and at last year's assembly, its initiative led to the adoption of the first resolution on strengthening preparedness for health emergencies resulting from natural disasters, he said.
Croatia led the consultative process on the resolution to strengthen and support the health workforce and develop an action plan for health workers. This reflects our long-standing commitment to strengthening capacity, education, and support for those who have dedicated their lives to preserving public health, said Prime Minister Plenković, adding that Croatia is committed to the global expansion of the WHO Academy.
Strengthening global health begins with empowering those who provide it, he stressed.
Ivan Kožarić's sculpture at WHO Headquarters
Today, at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, a sculpture titled Shape of Space by Ivan Kožarić was unveiled, dedicated to Dr Štampar and all healthcare workers around the world.
This sculpture, a gift from the Croatian government, will stand as a permanent tribute to the shared dedication to public health and international solidarity, said the prime minister.
Visit to CERN
Prime Minister Plenković also visited CERN, with which Croatia has been cooperating for over three decades. Croatia actively participates in key CERN experiments through five institutions and more than 50 scientists, while over 120 Croatian teachers and dozens of students take part in CERN's educational programmes.
In recent years, Croatian scientists have significantly contributed to CERN's experiments such as CMS and ALICE, and our industry has been involved in the construction of detectors, said Plenković.
The impact of this collaboration and the studies emerging from CERN has had significant positive effects on Croatian science and the business sector, and we are also proud that interest from Croatian companies in participating in CERN's projects is continuously growing, said Prime Minister Plenković.
According to him, massive investments will soon follow, with the existing 27-kilometre accelerator being complemented by a new 90-kilometre one, stretching almost all the way to the lake below Geneva. This is a fascinating and important project for science and nuclear research.
Plenković at the WTO and IOM
The prime minister also visited the World Trade Organization (WTO), where he met with Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Nigerian finance minister. The main topic of discussion was WTO reform, particularly with regard to global issues such as tariffs and non-tariff barriers, with Croatia as an EU member negotiating through the European Commission with the US.
I believe that by the deadline, when the application of higher tariffs is suspended, a solution will be found that will benefit both the US and the EU, he said, adding that Croatia's exports to the US make up only 2% of the total Croatian exports. We believe that the efforts we are making at the national level, as well as at the European level, will protect our exporters and those who are placing their products on the American market, he added.
The last meeting in Geneva was with Amy Pope, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), where they discussed the organisation's global activities on migration, particularly in preventing illegal migration and structuring legal migration to meet the needs of the labour market.
