WHO Director-General’s remarks at the Signing Ceremony Agreement with the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF)
PR Newswire
GENEVA, 09 November 2021
GENEVA, 09 November 2021 / PRN Africa / — Your Excellency Louise Mushikiwabo,
Dear colleagues and friends,
Bonjour à tous.
It is my pleasure to welcome you once again to finalize the agreement between WHO and the Francophonie adopted by the World Health Assembly this year.
This agreement is the next step in strengthening the already-close relationship between our two organizations, building on the MoU we signed in April.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of global solidarity and international collaboration.
The Francophonie’s commitment to peace, democracy and human rights makes it an ideal partner for WHO.
I would especially like to highlight the Francophonie’s engagement on health, not only during the pandemic, but even before, with your long-standing commitment to malaria prevention.
We will continue to work together, not only on malaria, but also on universal health coverage and the WHO Academy.
We know that many francophone countries have suffered through the pandemic, and remain vulnerable because of the lack of access to vaccines.
WHO’s target is to vaccinate 40% of the population of every country by the end of this year, and 70% by mid-2022.
82 countries, including several francophone countries, are in real danger of missing the 40% target.
I would like to use this opportunity to urge francophone countries that have already reached that target to give their place in the vaccine delivery queue to COVAX and the African Union’s Vaccine Acquisition Trust, AVAT.
That is the kind of solidarity we need to conquer this pandemic.
But we also know that COVID-19 is just one of many health threats your countries face.
WHO is committed to supporting all francophone countries to respond to the pandemic, but also to build more resilient health systems to respond to the many health needs your people have.
And even as we respond to this pandemic, we must learn the lessons it is teaching us and make every effort to prevent a future crisis on this scale.
We seek the support of the Francophonie for a binding treaty on pandemic preparedness and response, which will be the subject of the special session of the World Health Assembly later this month.
Together, we have the chance to shape the future we want – a future that is healthier, safer and fairer.
Thank you once again to the Francophonie for your leadership and partnership. We look forward to working with you in the months and years ahead to fulfil WHO’s mission to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.
I thank you.
Merci beaucoup.
SOURCE World Health Organization (WHO)