EU must step up health security efforts with WHO

Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru on Friday emphasized to take proper measures to prevent further spread of the coronavirus disease, according to an official press release.

“We have efficient global and European mechanisms in place to manage the situation, ensure the flow of information and prevent further spread of the disease. We must make better use of them together,” said Kiuru at a meeting of EU health ministers in Brussels.

Finland’s view is that international cooperation should be based on consistent implementation of the WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHR).

Finland calls for the European Commission to continue its active cross-administrative cooperation with the EU Member States, within the Commission among its directorates-general and internationally, especially with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

A number of Member States emphasised the need to communicate openly, raise awareness and give the public reliable information about the disease to help identify disease risks and prevent further spread of the disease.

In Finland, for example, a national telephone advice service has just been opened and passenger ports and commercial airports have set up information points to provide advice to travellers.

Other Member States, too, have taken similar measures to raise awareness and provide the public with reliable, timely information.

Kiuru reminded of the importance of ensuring that professionals who care for infected people are appropriately protected and that patient safety is observed.

“At the moment there are great differences in the disease situation across the EU. We need even more information on the novel coronavirus, and therefore it is important that Member States continuously update their situational awareness. We can contain further spread of the virus when we use strong, common and coordinated measures that aim at better exchange of information,” said Kiuru.

The EU health ministers’ meeting was a follow-up on the discussions that started in the extraordinary meeting held on 13 February.

The Member States adopted then Council conclusions on EU response and coordination due to the threat caused by the novel coronavirus disease.

The Council meeting was also attended by representatives of the European Commission, the Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).