17th Ministerial Meeting of the Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI): Outbreak preparedness and response to terrorist attacks on the agenda
date: 23/02/2017
Today, the European Commission hosts the 17th Ministerial meeting of the Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) in Brussels, welcoming Ministers and delegations from the member countries (1). The main topics for discussion are global preparedness in the event of an outbreak and response to both conventional and chemical terrorist attacks. The latter will be addressed in a scenario-based facilitated discussion.
Opening the meeting, Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety said: "Disease threats respect no borders; terror threats are similarly seamless; pandemics can appear without warning. This means we have to prepare for and deal with crises and threats to health security on a constant basis. Rising inequalities, migration, climate change and antimicrobial resistance are just a few examples challenging the economy and security of large part of our world. They are influencing the regional balance of power and peoples' chance of a fair and healthy life."
The Agenda also includes opening remarks by Julian King, European Commissioner for the Security Union, opening remarks by each delegation, and a presentation by the Deputy Director of Europol, W. van Gemert, on the need for engagement between relevant sectors, in particular the health and the security sector. This is followed by a scenario-based discussion on a cross-sectoral response to terrorist attacks, and a Ministerial dialogue on outbreak and response as it related to the new WHO Health Emergencies Programme and a larger role for the GHSI.
The meeting's key outcomes are summarised in the Ministerial Communiqué.
For more information:
http://ec.europa.eu/health/preparedness_response/preparedness_en
http://ec.europa.eu/health/preparedness_response/cbrn_threats/ghsi_en