Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 December 2022
152. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the Government’s position on the ongoing pandemic treaty negotiations; if he will ensure that Ireland advocates for an equitable distribution of life-saving medicine across the world; his views on the fact that the current international healthcare architecture is broken and puts the lives of the poor at risk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61238/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland strongly supports a multilateral approach to global health issues with the WHO in a central leadership role. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that the global status quo in terms of pandemic preparedness and response is not acceptable and needs revision.
An Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) was established by WHO to manage the negotiations; its December meeting will see discussion of a conceptual zero draft of the Pandemic Agreement. A progress report on the negotiations is expected to be delivered to the 76th World Health Assembly in 2023, with the aim of adopting the agreement by 2024.
The EU is a leading proponent of this process and Ireland, along with a majority of EU Member States, is part of the Group of Friends of the Treaty. It should be noted that while certain health matters are within the competency of EU Member States, other health matters are within the competency of the EU itself. Officials in my Department, working with Ireland's Permanent Representation to the UN in Geneva, are engaging and will continue to engage with other Government Departments, the EU negotiator, and the INB bureau in this process.
The Group of Friends of the Treaty strongly supports an agreement that would foster an all-of-government and all-of-society approach, strengthening national, regional and global capacities and resilience to future pandemics.
The Pandemic Agreement needs to include human rights, disability and gender-responsive equity as a core and underlying principle which informs the whole agreement. This also includes marginalised people in low-income settings, people living in crisis contexts, refugees and internally displaced people; by putting the furthest behind first, we can ensure equitable access to medical and non-medical measures for all.
To achieve this, investment will be needed in public health infrastructure globally, at all levels but with a particular focus on primary healthcare, and to include meaningful community engagement.
