Minister Huovinen to attend a Global Health Security Agenda meeting in Washington
Minister of Health and Social Services Susanna Huovinen will attend a meeting of the Global Health Security Agenda, an international partnership for the promotion of health security, in Washington on 25-26 September. Among other issues, the meeting will discuss the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
During her visit, Minister Huovinen will also meet her colleague, U.S. Minister of Health Sylvia Burwell to discuss such topics as the health service reforms in the United States and Finland.
The Global Health Security Agenda meeting will be attended by over 200 experts from a total of 45 countries and eight international organisations. Participants in the agenda include the European Union, the World Health Organization WHO, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation FAO and the World Organisation for Animal Health OIE.
The objectives of the Health Security Agenda are the prevention of epidemics, communication and timely response to health threats. Its point of departure relates to the challenges inherent in international mobility and threats to health caused by new topical infectious diseases such as Ebola and MERS coronavirus.
"We can all give our commitment to resolving the Ebola crisis by implementing WHO's International Health Regulations and by promoting compliance with them at the international level. The best way to combat threats to health is to improve primary health care in all countries before the outbreak of epidemics", says Minister Huovinen.
Further informationMinisterial Adviser Outi Kuivasniemi, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 50 4350 269