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A New Communication Channel to Thwart Health Threats
Our increasingly inter-connected world presents an increasing threat to global health. Today, pathogens emerging in rural communities where people still live in close contact with animals can migrate across the globe at the speed of a passenger airplane.
Recent experiences with the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, multi-country cholera, and the recent MPox outbreak, clearly indicate that when it comes to global health emergencies, marshalling a rapid global response to an emerging pathogen is crucial to heading off a potential pandemic.
Six months ago, the United States hosted the launch of the Foreign Ministry Channel for Global Health Security. It is a mechanism to address current and future health threats, meant in part to function as a communication channels to mobilize rapidly when health threats emerge.
On September 27, Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted 20 foreign ministers, senior diplomats, and leaders of international organizations at a Ministerial Meeting of the Foreign Ministry Channel for Global Health Security. The idea was to expand diplomatic engagement in strengthening global health security as they work to mobilize political will, global resources, and multisectoral coordination to address infectious disease threats and active outbreaks.
“COVID-19, other outbreaks of disease – like the mpox outbreak that we’re currently facing – show us why health security is national security,” said Secretary Blinken.
“Diplomacy is one of the essential tools for trying to mobilize political will, to raise awareness, to unlock and unblock obstacles that get in the way of the collaboration necessary to deal with the outbreak of disease and its spread.”
“We all have a role to play when it comes to dealing with improving the health of our populations, both in our own countries and around the world,” he said.
“This Foreign Ministry Channel for Global Health Security was launched in March as a forum for all of our foreign ministries to work to proactively communicate, to share information, to coordinate efforts, to strengthen global health security.”
“These partnerships are absolutely critical. It’s also important that we continue … doing work with critical multilateral funds like the Pandemic Fund,” said Secretary Blinken.
“Simply put, today’s an opportunity, an opportunity to lay more ground for future collaboration. I think we all know from the COVID experience how essential that is.”