The global health subcommittee meets for the first time in parliament on Friday, chaired by Socialist deputy Jorge Seguro and with its first task to hold a conference on vaccination in September.
On Wednesday, the parliamentary health committee approved the creation of this more specialized group, in a vote where only the liberal initiative abstained.
In addition to former foreign minister Jorge Seguro, Ricardo Batista Leite (PSD), Catarina Martins (Bloco de Esquerda), Pedro Frazão (Chega), João Dias (PCP) and Joana Cordeiro (Iniciativa Liberal) will also be present.
The global health subcommittee also includes delegates Paulo Marques (PS), Joana Lima (PS), Lúcia Araújo e Silva (PS), Irene Costa (PS), Berta Nunes (PS), Ricardo Sousa (PSD), Lina Lopes (PSD ) and Rui Cristina (PSD).
Among other goals, this subcommittee intends to make a general review of global health issues, “listening, working closely and organizing public events.”
As priority themes for analysis, infectious diseases, namely HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, as well as non-communicable diseases will be considered.
In this last area, MEPs want to encourage analysis of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Mental health, global crises, substance abuse, tobacco control, access to vaccines and medicines, health care financing, labor and human resource issues, global women’s health, infertility are other topics covered by this subcommittee.
According to the program approved on Wednesday, the subcommittee’s plan of activities “will be reviewed at the beginning of each legislature, with the aim of improving and eventually adjusting it”.
To emphasize the importance of global health, the European Union’s global health strategy also points out that the covid-19 pandemic “demonstrated the unbearable human cost and strong economic impact of health architecture weaknesses”.
“It has undone decades of progress in global health, widening inequality and compounding the challenges of other pandemics, such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis or antimicrobial resistance, and those of climate change, geopolitics and the digital revolution,” he adds. .
In this sense, it was felt that the Assembly of the Republic is “pre-eminently the appropriate forum for reflecting in depth on these themes, monitoring the state of the art and underpinning decision-making in an integrated framework”. and strategically aligned with best international practice”.
Source: DN
