Global Health Summit

Health security is

a global public good.

It is also a social, economic and security issue.

And health is an essential component of the Sustainable Development Goals.

We must all work together.

At the global, regional and national levels.

With governments, UN organisations and civil society.

And with the private sector.

CEPI and Gavi are examples of successful public-private partnerships.

The World Health Organization plays a central, coordinating role at the international level.

We need to make it possible for WHO to deliver on its mandate.

It must be given operational independence.

And it needs to be fully financed.

We are prepared to increase our assessed contributions considerably.

We need to co-operate across sectors and strengthen coordination of “One Health” implementation.

We must seize the opportunity to change the course of this pandemic.

And to be better prepared in the future. 

We must invest in prevention and preparedness:

• In robust health systems and universal health coverage,
• In research and development,
• In diversified manufacturing capacity and technology transfer.

When a crisis emerges, the resources must already be available.

Financing pandemic preparedness is an investment.

And we have been reminded that the investment is small compared to the cost of inaction.

Investment in pandemic preparedness is a global public good which will benefit all countries.

We should finance pandemic preparedness collectively based on a system for fair burden-sharing.

We must all commit to implementing the International Health Regulations and to enhancing global cooperation in new ways.

We believe that a pandemic treaty could be an effective instrument.

And we support the establishment of a new global financing mechanism.

It will provide predictable funding to different implementers.

The world has developed safe and effective vaccines faster than ever before.

Now we must ensure universal access.  

I am proud to serve as co-chair of the ACT-Accelerator Facilitation Council together with President Ramaphosa of South Africa.

ACT-A is a unique multilateral collaboration, designed to increase global access to tests, treatments and vaccines.

Norway is helping to share the burden. We have contributed USD 500 million to ACT-A.

In addition, we will share surplus vaccines.

Our current estimate is 5 million vaccine doses – one per capita.  

The world also needs to produce more vaccines and ensure their use.

I am pleased that Germany and South Africa will co-chair a high-level ACT-A and G20 working group to this effect.

This high level working group will be able to deliver on the request from Secretary-General Guterres for a G20 task force.

I call on all of you to do your part and contribute your fair share to ACT-A.

Because no vaccine should be left unused.

And because no one is safe until everyone is safe.