Intervention of MP Nikos Tornaritis at a meeting of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Marrakesh
Mr. Tornaritis, head of the Cypriot delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is today participating in the work of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development in Marrakesh.
Speaking on the issue of public health crisis management, Mr. Tornaritis said that the experience of the pandemic has made clear and urgent the need for multilateral cooperation between governments and organisations in the critical area of health. Mr. Tornaritis stressed that mandated international organisations, such as the World Health Organisation, must be strengthened and equipped with the means to be flexible and ready to cope with a future crisis. The inclusion of all stakeholders, transparency and accountability in decision-making processes, he stressed, are key parameters that should be taken into account.
The Cypriot MP also highlighted the need to establish new regional mechanisms for the protection of public health, the prevention of health crises and the strengthening of national health systems. International cooperation, Mr. Tornaritis stressed, is a prerequisite for the proper preparation and immediate response of health systems and the exchange of best practices.
Mr. Tornaritis said that a holistic approach should not ignore the specific characteristics of each country, but instead should make use of them in order to ensure the quality of health services provided both at national and regional level. Public health, he stressed, must become a good accessible to all citizens but also to the specific needs of each individual, promote innovation and ensure better protection and crisis management.
Finally, the Cypriot MEP underlined that the protection of the environment and the ending of armed conflicts are particularly important factors that greatly affect the quality, resilience and effectiveness of the health services provided.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
