Minister of Health Memişoğlu Spoke at the UN on Preparedness for Pandemics

Memişoğlu spoke at the session titled "High Level Meeting on Preparedness for Pandemics" held during the opening week of the 81st General Assembly of the United Nations (UN).

Drawing attention to the issues of global health security and the necessity of international cooperation, Memişoğlu said, "Pandemics have shown that global health security is a common responsibility. Challenges that no country can overcome alone can only be overcome with collective action and international cooperation." he said.

Memişoğlu stated that Türkiye successfully managed the health system during the Covid-19 pandemic, thanks to its strong infrastructure, and said, "Thanks to our strong health infrastructure, we ensured that no citizen, from the youngest to the oldest, was deprived of access to medical treatment. In those difficult days, we transformed our experience and opportunities into a spirit of global solidarity." he said.

"IT IS A TERRIBLE SITUATION IN GAZA, WHERE PEOPLE CANNOT ACCESS VACCINES OR BASIC MEDICATIONS"

Underlining the importance of equality in global health security, Minister of Health Memişoğlu emphasized Türkiye's commitment to global solidarity, providing medical aid to countries in need without expecting anything in return.

Memişoğlu noted that they wish people to live in health, peace and dignity and said, "Health is a fundamental human right, just like the right to life. One of the reasons why we say 'The world is bigger than 5' is the injustice and inequality in access to health services." made his assessment.

Emphasizing that no country should be left alone in the face of health emergencies, Memişoğlu said:

"Today, we are faced with a dire situation in Gaza where women and children are murdered and innocent people do not even have access to vaccines and basic medicines. We cannot talk about global health security or conscience in a world where people die before our eyes just because they cannot access medical treatment."