Over three decades. That is how long the EU and the Panamerican Organisation for Health (PAHO) have partnered to keep our people safe and our societies strong. That is quite an achievement, and that is why I am so pleased to be here today.
I want to thank PAHO for your passion and your commitment. We are not just partners; we are allies in global health security. Todays administrative arrangement between DG HERA and PAHO is an important milestone. It strengthens our cooperation in three key areas.
First, identifying and analysing health threats, from neglected diseases to pandemic threats. For example, we will strengthen disease surveillance, building on our work across the LAC region on wastewater and environmental monitoring.
Second, joint procurement of medical countermeasures. Procurement is one of our most powerful tools. It is what ensures access to vaccines and medicines for our people. We will exchange best practices on procurement systems, models, and innovative contracting.
Third, stronger emergency preparedness and stockpiling for future crises. Building up reserves of medical countermeasures and running crisis simulations are essential to respond faster and better. Through this agreement, we will share our experience and approaches, strengthening preparedness on both sides of the Atlantic.
This signature comes at the right time, just ahead of the CELAC-EU Summit, a moment for our regions to stand strong and united amid rising geopolitical tensions and risks. I am very pleased to be joined today by HERA Director-General Florika Fink-Hooijer and PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa.
At our last EU-CELAC summit in 2023, we renewed our promise to deepen this partnership and make our health systems more resilient to better prevent, prepare for, and respond to public health emergencies together. Since then, we have turned our words into action: the G20 Alliance on neglected diseases and the EU-LAC partnership under the Global Gateway Strategy on manufacturing vaccines and other medical countermeasures.
These are concrete examples of what we can achieve together. Todays event builds on that legacy and takes our cooperation to the next level.
Together our organisations cover 68 countries and serve over one billion people. That reach brings with it a shared responsibility to protect our people from health threats and to respond quickly and effectively when crises strike.
Today this responsibility is more urgent than ever. Being ready for health emergencies, especially access to vaccines and medicines, is not just vital for health. It is also about protecting our economies, our societies, and our security.
COVID-19 taught us a hard lesson: preparedness cannot be improvised, it must be built, tested, and trusted before the next crisis because it is not a question of “if” but “when”. No country, no region can face these global health threats alone.
Today we see more scepticism and more isolation around the world, not only in health and science, but in trade, technology, and even climate action. Countries are turning inward, blocking cooperation and building walls. This is the wrong way to go. The European Union is going in the opposite direction.
We continue to believe in dialogue, cooperation, and solidarity. This is our guiding compass, across countries, across regions, and with all our global partners because this is what keeps all us safe from health threats, but also from climate change, cyberattacks, and other man-made threats. We are all in this together.
Thank you again for your commitment and partnership. You can count on the European Union to keep working for a safer, stronger, and fairer world for everyone.
