Greetings from the GHSA Chair in 2021
GHSA members, colleagues and friends,
Thailand appreciates the Netherlands’ leading role as the GHSA Chair for the past two years and during the 6th Ministerial Meeting this year. We have acknowledged a greater importance of GHSA in achieving the vision of a world safe and secure from global health threats, posed by infectious diseases, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are very glad and proud to be the GHSA chair in 2021.
Considering the duties, first, we would like to achieve the GHSA target by advancing a multi-sectoral approach, which includes the utilization of the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches for timely detection and responses as well as to intensify our concerted efforts in achieving the GHSA 2024 Target.
Secondly, we will support the identification of knowledge on gaps during the COVID-19 pandemic responses through relevant health security assessments such as the Joint External Evaluation, IHR 2005 Monitoring Framework, the National Action Plans for Health Security, and the Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway. Thirdly, we will urge the relevant GHSA Action Packages and Task Forces to implement priority issues including development of diagnostic, vaccines and therapeutic treatments, management of PPE, strengthening of biosafety and biosecurity and laboratory systems, enhancing workforce development, investment in innovative techniques, and research development. Lastly, we will request the Steering Group to set up systematic monitoring, regularly review progress of the implementation of the GHSA 2024 Framework and its overarching targets.
Finally, we would like to thank you for the support of the Netherlands and all country members that will lead to the driving and implementation of the GHSA. I would like to conclude that preparedness, detection, and response are core priorities of the Global Health Security Agenda to make the world more safe and secure from health security threats.
Thank you.
His Excellency Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, Thailand
The 2nd GHSA Steering Group Meeting in 2020
The GHSA Steering Group meeting was held virtually on 17, 18, and 24 September 2020. The meeting was attended by all GHSA Steering Group members and led by the Netherlands as Chair of the GHSA Steering Group in 2020. The meeting discussed GHSA current state of play, Action Packages Development, transition of Task Forces tasks to the Secretariat, membership of the Rotating Steering Group in 2021 and Preparation for the 6th Ministerial Meeting.
Progress towards achieving the GHSA 2024 Target
The Accountability and Result Task Force (AR TF) presented the progress of achieving the GHSA 2024 target. After just two years since the launch of GHSA 2024, there is evidence that some important global progress has been achieved across a variety of metrics. This is a reflection of the work and commitment of national governments, international and non-governmental organizations and the entire global health security community and we believe that GHSA 2024 contributed to this progress.
The 6th Global Health Security Agenda Ministerial Meeting
“Bridging Cooperative Action for Global Health Security”
The 6th Global Health Security Agenda Ministerial Meeting was held virtually during 18-20 November 2020 with the main objectives to exchange experiences on disease prevention and control among various sectors and countries, update the progress of action package implementation, enhance the engagement of multi–sectoral cooperation, identify gaps of implementation and fill them with concrete actions as well as jointly address means and ways forward to improve the GHSA mechanism and collaboration on global health security concerns. The meeting was attended by distinguished delegates from participating GHSA members (354 delegates from 47 countries, private sector, development partners and other relevant sectors (1109 observers from 97 countries). Supplementing the Ministerial Meeting, there were 16 important side meetings organized by the GHSA members and development partners.
Chair’s Declaration on the 6th GHSA Ministerial Meeting
During the holding of the 6th GHSA Ministerial Meeting hosted by the Royal Thai Government through the Ministry of Public Health on 18-20 November 2020, the Chair’s Declaration of the Meeting was issued. The Declaration underscores the important role of the GHSA in addressing global health security capacity gaps through collaborative efforts, particularly by accelerating the achievements of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) goals, and other relevant global health security frameworks to realize the vision of a world safe and secure from global health threats posed by infectious diseases, either natural, deliberate, or accidental.
Message from the Secretariat
With Thailand currently serving as the GHSA Chair as of November 2020 succeeding the Netherlands, there has been some restructuring in composition of the GHSA Secretariats. The previous GHSA Secretariats were comprised of the Netherlands, Indonesia, and Australia. However, the new structure includes Thailand as the Chair and Secretariat, Indonesia as the Permanent Secretariat, and Pakistan Secretariat.
We would like to take this opportunity to extend our profound gratitude and appreciation to the Netherlands and Australia for their invaluable contributions to the GHSA as the previous Secretariats, and at the same time warmly welcome Thailand, Indonesia, and Pakistan as the current GHSA secretariat team.
For general inquiries on the GHSA-related matters, please contact the GHSA Secretariat on ghsa.secretariat@gmail.com, or contact one of these secretariats directly with a copy to the others:
GHSA Co-Unit Thailand
Office of International Cooperation, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health
Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66 2590 3836
E-mail: thai.ghsacounit@gmail.com
GHSA Indonesia Secretariat
Bureau of International Cooperation, Ministry of Health
Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia
E-mail: ghsa.indonesia@gmail.com
GHSA Pakistan Secretariat
National Institute of Health
Islamabad, Pakistan
Email: pak.ghsasec@nih.org.pk
Let’s conduct an Intra-Action Review!
Several countries have carried out the Intra Action Review (IAR) which can provide an overview of the success and improvement efforts needed in handling COVID-19. The Intra-Action Review (IAR) is an additional tool to increase health security capacity in member countries. Contact WHO in your country to conduct IAR.