On the first day of a country visit to the Russian Federation, WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge met with Minister of Health Dr Mikhail Murashko and Head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) Dr Anna Popova.
Their discussions covered a number of topics, including the country’s response to COVID-19 and the importance of global cooperation in the ongoing pandemic.
During a press briefing alongside the Minister of Health, Dr Kluge spoke of the importance of multilateralism and global cooperation. He commended the Russian Federation for its COVID-19 vaccine research and development efforts, and for sharing information with WHO as part of the global effort to find a safe and effective vaccine.
During his meeting with Dr Popova of Rospotrebnadzor, Dr Kluge discussed the Russian Federation’s response to COVID-19, including the importance of global solidarity in the fight against the virus. Rospotrebnadzor has been an important part of WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), whose activities have included a COVID-19 support mission in Tajikistan. Dr Kluge and Dr Popova also discussed the high levels of influenza vaccination in the country.
The first day of the visit included a meeting with Mr Sergey Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow, as well as Mr Igor Shuvalov, Chair of the State Development Corporation and a member of the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development.