Helen Clark's Diary, September
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PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS
Address to UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response.
The High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response at the United Nations General Assembly was an opportunity to discuss the need for major change in how the world addresses pandemic threats. In general, the global reaction to such threats has been one of first panic, and then neglect once the eye of the storm has passed. Thus, over and over, the opportunity to make major improvements to the rules and practices around prevention, preparedness, and response is lost. Already, government and public attention to these issues following the arrival of COVID-19 has waned. My speech to the High-Level Meeting urged that Member States at the United Nations and the World Health Assembly press on to make the transformative changes required. The old saying applies: those who don’t learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. COVID-19 is already responsible for excess mortality of 24 million people, many more suffer from long COVID, and whole societies and economies have been badly impacted. This is a lesson the world should not want to repeat. See my speech to the High-Level Meeting below.
If there was another pandemic emerging tomorrow would we be better prepared?
The United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response was worth having. There is a very slow progress on the Geneva Pandemic Accord negotiations, New York High-Levem Meeting kept focus on what is at stake and the need to improve systems. See my interview with Devex’ JennyLei Ravelo.
Also, check out the article, “Former New Zealand prime minister and pandemic prep leader says we’re unprepared for the next one” in The Associated Press.
WOMEN’s LEADERSHIP
Honoured to join The Elders
The Elders are a vital voice for ethical leadership when the world needs it most. It is an honour to join this distinguished group. I have admired their work for many years, and worked with different Elders in different ways to advance the ideals of peace, justice, human rights and a sustainable planet that lie at the heart of Nelson Mandela’s mandate. I look forward to deepening these relationships, and our collective impact on the existential threats facing the world, in the months and years ahead.
The Elders was founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007. It’s a group of independent global leaders who have come together to address some of the world's most pressing problems. The Elders include former heads of state, former United Nations officials, and other prominent individuals who work collectively to promote peace, human rights, and social justice. They provide independent advice on issues such as conflict resolution, climate change, and access to healthcare.
HEALTH
Keynote Address at Launch of the Global HPV Consortium
I was pleased to speak at the launch of the Global HPV Consortium at the beginning of the month in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“1,5 million women died from cervical cancer in the last five years… Without decisive action, another 1.5 million women will die over the next five years too…As a lifelong advocate for women’s health and empowerment, the prospect of ending deaths from cervical cancer which we can prevent is very exciting. We can save the lives of many women and also prevent the trauma of deaths from cervical cancer on families.” Read the full speech below.
VACCINE HUBS
BioNTch is revising plans for African vaccine network
Statements of intention by global pharmaceutical companies to manufacture in Global South may not be worth the paper they are written on. They are no substitute for the needed public investment in research and development which is linked to regional manufacturing and roll out. Bloomberg has more.
USAID asked to support vaccines research
Promising news from USAID on investing in South African research into HIV vaccines. Could this approach be used more widely by USAID to invest inresearch and development for vaccines and therapeutics more widely in Global South? WHO has come up with a new mRNA “vaccine hubs” initiative. Check out this article in The Washington Post for more.
On developing an equitable end-to-end counter measures ecosystem which supports Global South self-reliance, see the recent Lancet article.
sustainable development goals
Time to ask fundamental questions about SDGs
Dennis Francis', President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly tweeted: “To date, only 15% of the SDG targets are on track, and nearly one third have stalled or gone into reverse. It is high time for all nations to funnel their financial efforts into realizing the Sustainable Development Agenda, to collectively forge a world where no one is left behind.”
If commitment to achieving internationally agreed goals like SDGs continues to be honoured more in the breach than the observance, when will fundamental questions be asked about the point of setting them? Just asking. Is there real commitment among Member States to rescuing SDGs?
YOUTH
“1.8 Billion Futures” on committing to adolescent health and well-being, a speech at Clinton Global Initiative
I was pleased to speak at Clinton Global Initiative “1.8 Billion Futures” session in my capacity as Chair of the PMNCH Board. The 1.8 billion young lives make up just over a fifth of the world's population. Yet, their voices are often left out of the decision-making processes which are shaping their lives.
Countries must prioritise adolescent health and well-being in plans and strategies, and allocate specific budgets for that. Between 2003 and 2015, only 1.6 per cent of development assistance for health was dedicated to adolescent health, despite its critical importance. We have to do better – the costs of underinvestment are high.
DRUG POLICY
UK’s first consumption room opens in Scotland
Good news for harm reduction in Scotland: safe consumption space funded by Scottish Govt approved for east Glasgow. Important step in reducing death from drug-related causes. BBC News has more details.
Pro-decriminalisation report ignored by the UK Home Office
A leaked document reveals that UK Government ignored a 2016 report from advisers to decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use. It then battled for years to suppress its release. Evidence and human rights should guide drug policy. More in The Guardian.
SUDAN CRISIS
Sudan must be pulled back from the brink – we ignore it at our collective peril
Sudan crisis has led to millions of people displaced and thousands killed. This week, the head of the army said he was open to talks. The need to negotiate a ceasefire and path to constitutional government is urgent. “According to conservative estimates, more than 5,000 persons have been killed in the fighting. The UN estimates that more than 4.6 million people have fled their homes, and about 50,000 of them have fled outside Sudan’s borders. Indeed, the UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, recently issued the stark warning: “The war in Sudan is fuelling a humanitarian emergency of epic proportions…. The viral conflict and the hunger, disease and displacement left in its wake, now threaten to consume the entire country.” See the full op ed by Mohamed ElBaradei, Lakhdar Brahimi, Chester Crocker, Roelf Meyer and me.
Niger
Post coup situation in Niger worsens
People of Niger are increasingly under pressure following military coup and imposition of sanctions against the country. Basic supplies of medicines and foodstuffs are running low. World Food Program warns that 40% of population could face severe food insecurity. NY Times has more details.
WAR IN UKRAINE
Shocking findings of Russian torture
“Torture perpetrated by Russian officers against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war has reached such a level that it is clearly a systematic, state-endorsed policy”: shocking finding of Alice Jill Edwards, UN Special Rapporteur on torture: NY Times has more details.
CLIMAT CRISIS
Amazon deforestation is in decline
Wonderful news from - Brazil: Amazon deforestation in August 2023 was down 66% on the previous August. It underlines President Lula’s determination to end Amazon deforestation by 2030; critical to reaching Paris Climate Agreement aspirations. See BBC News for more details.
NEW ZEALAND
Encouraging trends in drug use and possession charges
Some encouraging trends were noted on diversion from prosecution on drug charges by police in this analysis by Derek Cheng but much more can be done to fulfil mission of 2019 legislation which aimed to have a health-based approach to drug use and possession.
Syphilis deaths of babies reveal shocking inequality
Disturbing to read that “babies died of congenital syphilis” in New Zealand. Many points could be made about shocking inequity revealed, need for primary services to be accessible to every pregnant woman, and for comprehensive sexuality education to help people stay safe. Check out this article in the NZ Herald for more.
THE LATEST FROM THE HELEN CLARK FOUNDATION
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Sponge
“Pleased to present our new report on Sponge Cities to the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw with WSP in New Zealand today. We talked about intensifying rainfall, ageing storm water infrastructure and the importance of building our cities and towns to be more climate resilient.”
New Zealand government is planning to make it much harder to build in areas which are at high risk of floods. Check out this Newsroom article.
Have your say at the Ministry for the Environment
“If, like us, you are keen to make a submission on Proposed National Policy Statement for Natural Hazard Decision-making 2023, you can do so here, before 20 November.”
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