WFPHA at EB150: A Constituency Call

The 150th session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Executive Board takes place on 24 – 29 January 2022.

The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) attends this session with a strong statement calling on WHO and its member states to take action to:

1. Ensure equitable access to vaccines against COVID-19.
2. Adopt a Pandemic Treaty that improves global preparedness and response to health emergencies.
3. Recognize that COVID-19 is more than a pandemic and is best characterised as a syndemic, i.e, a synergy of COVID-19 and other diseases with economic, political, and environmental macro-processes.

This constituency call is submitted by several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in official relations with WHO and supported by NGOs not in official relations with WHO.

Call on the WHO to End Sexual Violence and Harassment in Health

On 10th December 2021, Human Rights Day, Women in Global Health in partnership with Actions pour la Réinsertion sociale de la Femme, FEMNET, and more than 140 civil society organizations across the globe have sent a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) to act now to prevent and eliminate all forms of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) in health. The letter has been kept open for more signatures until the WHO’s Executive Board taking place on 24 – 29 January 2022.

Joining other organizations, WFPHA wishes to express deep concern at the SEAH of women and girls by WHO staff during the tenth Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) detailed in the report by the Independent Commission.

WFPHA stands with survivors of SEAH and whistleblowers in their pursuit of justice and the truth, and calls on WHO to act now to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.

Argentina Supports WFPHA and SHEM Proposal Sent to the EB150

WFPHA on behalf of the Sustainable Health Equity Movement (SHEM) has sent a letter to the 150th session of the Executive Board (EB) of the World Health Organization (WHO) taking place on 24 – 29 January 2022.

SHEM has suggested holding a High-Level Meeting on “complex-determination and an integral and collaborative response to the COVID-19 syndemic”, on the occasion of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in September 2022.

During the first day of the WHO EB, Carla Vizzotti, Minister of Health of Argentina, supported the WFPHA and SHEM letter requesting the WHO EB to take to the World Health Assembly the abovementioned proposal to recommend to the President of the UNGA and UN Secretary General the organization of the proposed High-Level Meeting.

A Letter to the EB150

WFPHA on behalf of the Sustainable Health Equity Movement (SHEM) has sent a letter to the 150th session of the Executive Board (EB) of the World Health Organization (WHO) taking place on 24 – 29 January 2022.

WFPHA and SHEM have requested the WHO EB to take several proposals to the World Health Assembly.

The Biggest Threats Facing the Distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccine

“Some threats to the fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines stem from interest of monopolizing vaccine production.”

What are the biggest threats facing the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine? Dr Mohannad AL-Nsour of the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), member of Coalition of International NGOs for Equity, answers the question.

Click on the link below to watch the video.

An Urgent Call for Global “Vaccines-plus” Action

WFPHA has joined a group of public health experts, clinicians, and scientists to call for an urgent global “vaccine plus” policy.