Your Excellency Peter Altmaier, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany,
Your Excellency Dr Markus Söder, Prime Minister of the Free State of Bavaria,
Dr Martin Brudermüller, Chairman of the Board of Management of BASF,
Moderator Sabine Christiansen, Managing Director of TV21,
Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear colleagues and friends,
Good morning, and thank you for the opportunity of sharing a few reflections with you at this difficult time.
Germany, like much of Europe, has in recent weeks seen a steep rise in cases and deaths from COVID-19.
The number of infections among older, vulnerable age groups is increasing in Germany, and the number of patients in intensive care wards has almost tripled in the past two weeks.
We are seeing similar patterns across most of Europe.
I would like to offer my deep condolences to all those in your country who have lost someone they love;
I offer my deep respect and admiration for your health workers, who have put themselves in harm’s way to serve others;
And I offer my deep commitment that WHO stands ready to support you in any way we can, just as you have supported WHO.
I would like to express my profound appreciation for the leadership and support of Chancellor Angela Merkel and her government during this turbulent time.
We very much appreciate the leading role Germany has played in the pandemic response, and specifically for the support it has shown for WHO and the multilateral system.
Germany has also been a major donor to the response to acute emergencies, such as Ebola, and to WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies.
Just as important have been Germany’s flexible financial contributions, which have been critical in our work on COVID-19, but have also helped to maintain essential health services in the most vulnerable countries.
Germany has also provided immense support for the COVID-19 response through the deployment of its experts from the Robert Koch and Bernard Nocht Institutes through the GOARN network.
And Germany has demonstrated strong pan-European solidarity during its leadership of the EU presidency, including by accepting medical evacuations from other European countries whose hospitals have come under strain.
We also very much appreciate Germany’s support for WHO’s Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, which is working to develop tests, treatments and vaccines for COVID-19 fast, and allocate them fairly.
Our aim is to deliver 2 billion vaccine doses, 245 million treatments and 500 million diagnostic tests by the end of next year.
Achieving this goal will cost just one percent of what G20 governments have committed to domestic economic stimulus packages.
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Although the COVID-19 pandemic is a health crisis, it’s so much more than that.
It has shaken the foundations of social, political and economic security.
Millions of jobs and livelihoods have been lost, businesses have been jeopardised, the global economy is in recession, and geopolitical divisions have been deepened.
In some public debate, how countries respond to the pandemic has been framed as a choice between health and the economy. But that’s a false choice. We do not have to choose between lives and livelihoods.
Many countries have demonstrated that with a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach using evidence-based tools, widespread transmission of COVID-19 can be avoided or controlled, and the economic damage can be limited.
Far from being a choice between health and the economy, the pandemic has shown us that they are integrated and inter-dependent.
When people are healthy, they can learn, earn and innovate.
When people are sick, the whole of society suffers.
And when a pandemic hits, the entire foundation of economies can crumble.
Consider this: the world spends 7.5 trillion U.S. dollars on health each year – almost 10 percent of global GDP.
We need to ask ourselves: are we getting value for money?
WHO believes the answer is: no.
In recent years, many countries have made huge investments and advances in medicine, but too many have neglected their basic public health systems, which are the bedrock for preventing, preparing for, detecting and responding to outbreaks – and for promoting health and preventing illness of all types.
In that sense I was very encouraged by Chancellor Merkel’s recent announcement that Germany will invest four billion euros by 2026 in strengthening its public health capacities.
This is a good example for many countries, and truly visionary. Strong national public health capacities are essential for protecting health at home and abroad.
But in addition to increased investment in public health, we must also rethink how we value health.
The time has come for a new narrative that sees health not as a cost, but an investment that is the foundation of productive, resilient and stable economies.
To move forward, WHO is establishing a new Council on the Economics of Health for All, to focus on the links between health and sustainable, inclusive and innovation-led economic growth.
The council will comprise leading economists and health experts, and will be chaired by Professor Mariana Mazzucato, Professor of the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at the University of London, and the Founding Director of the university’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose.
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Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
The pandemic has taught us some fundamental lessons:
That health and the economy are deeply intertwined;
That saving lives and livelihoods are complementary goals;
That health is not a luxury to be reserved for those who can afford it;
And that everyone has a role to play, both in ending the pandemic and the global recovery, in both the public and private sectors.
So I would like to leave you with a few suggestions about how you can contribute, as leaders in your area.
First, I urge all business leaders to find a way to contribute to ending this pandemic, locally, regionally, nationally and globally. Whether it is through local production capacity, community support, in-kind contributions, or financial contributions.
Second, use your influence.
As thought leaders, you can accomplish a great deal by communicating with your staff, suppliers and customers about what you’re doing to keep them safe, and how they can play their part.
Finally, drive positive change.
A return to the old normal, or business as usual, is not good enough anymore.
WHO is acutely aware of the serious consequences that the pandemic and the measures taken to contain it have had for small- and medium-sized enterprises.
But SMEs play a key role in the global economy and will also play a key role in the recovery from this pandemic, and preparing for the next one.
Preparedness is everyone’s business. You can play your part by putting in place the business continuity plans to ensure that when the next crisis arrives, we’re all better prepared.
Your partnership is essential, not only for defeating this pandemic, but for building the healthier, safer and fairer world we all want.
Vielen Dank. I thank you.