Joint statement of the United States of America and the World Health Organization on the US-WHO strategic dialogue

Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus held the first US-WHO strategic dialogue. Convened under the Biden-Harris administration, the US-WHO Strategic Dialogue provides a platform to maximize the long-term partnership between the US government and WHO, and to protect and promote the health of all people around the world, including the American people.

Representatives from across the United States government and WHO leadership discussed several priority global public health issues and areas of collaboration and partnership, including ongoing efforts to strengthen WHO. The US and WHO welcomed the creation of a historic new financial intermediary fund for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response and called on countries to help ensure its sustainable funding and support.

While it appears that the world will emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear that we need to be better prepared in the future, as highlighted by the recent outbreaks of monkeypox, Ebola and polio. The global health architecture consists of important entities, policies and legal tools that help countries improve national, regional and global health. An essential aspect of this architecture is the ability to prevent, detect and respond to pandemics and other health security threats. Secretary Becerra and Director-General Tedros agreed that national and global capacities must be strong, agile, constantly improving and always fit for purpose. They discussed ongoing efforts to improve the global health architecture, to support resilient health systems, and to advance health equity.

The discussion also addressed efforts to develop a new pandemic instrument, strengthening the International Health Regulations (IHR), including through targeted amendments, as well as scaling up the General Review of Health Preparedness, including the Joint External Evaluation and other relevant tools, and updating the global, regional and national outbreak surveillance capabilities and One Health. It is also vital to advance opportunities to improve health security and primary care, including by leveraging the extensive global health data infrastructure supported by numerous US government programs. In promoting rapid and transparent data sharing and coordination, strengthened IHRs and the new Pandemic Instrument can provide important tools to WHO Member States, including the United States, to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to emerging events with pandemic potential and disease surveillance measures controls. This strengthening of global health security is critical to protecting the health of the world and the American people.

In addition to strengthening preparedness and response to health emergencies, the United States and WHO have recommitted to strengthening our partnership in key areas so that the world can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, a quarter of the pace needed. Accelerated progress will require resilient health systems capable of dealing with future health emergencies, reorienting towards integrated primary health care as a means of achieving universal health coverage, investing in comprehensive health and care workforce development and community engagement, and promoting policies that recognize the links between environment and health to improve quality of life. Accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals also requires scaling up progress made in addressing HIV, tuberculosis, polio and malaria, advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights, and empowering marginalized and vulnerable communities in global health. Additionally, US and WHO leadership also discussed progress made on budget and management reform as well as WHO’s work to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment.

Recognizing that there is much more that needs to be done together to improve and promote global public health, the United States and WHO have decided to commission technical experts to further develop their cooperation in 2023, including a joint work plan focusing on activities to support these shared goals. leadership. Secretary Becerra and Director General Tedros will continue their positive engagement and guide the work of the technical teams with an expected update and reassessment until the next US-WHO Strategic Dialogue in late 2023.