Germany holds the G7 presidency for the year 2022 and health is the focal issue for the German G7 presidency.
Health is the central issue of the German G7 presidency. In doing so, the Federal Government is sending an important signal,” said Prof. Karl Lauterbach, Federal Minister of Health, Germany, as per the German Ministry of Health Website.
Especially in times of the pandemic, it becomes clear that health issues require international solutions. We want to fight the pandemic together and at the same time learn lessons from it.”
Prof. Karl Lauterbach, Federal Minister of Health, Germany
Pandemic control and prevention is one main priority in global health for the German G7 presidency. The German government advocates for strengthening the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), and providing broad support for local vaccine production in developing countries.
Furthermore, the German G7 presidency plans to promote the exchange of knowledge between the G7 partners and to share already acquired knowledge in the field of pandemic control through a pandemic exercise in cooperation with the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin.
What is G7?
The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal political forum for heads of state and government of seven countries: the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, and Germany. G7 members are the world’s largest IMF advanced economies and wealthiest liberal democracies.
The European Commission is represented in all meetings. The presidency or chairmanship of the G7 forum changes annually between its seven members. The group meets once a year for a summit by invitation of that year’s presidency.
What is ACT-A?
Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), was launched in April 2020 by the World Health Organization and partners.
This partnership has supported the fastest, most coordinated, and successful global effort in history to develop tools to fight a disease. With significant advances in research and development by academia, the private sector, and government initiatives, ACT-A aims to secure a way to end the acute phase of the pandemic by deploying the tests, treatments, and vaccines the world needs.
Two other priorities in the global health sector for the German G7 presidency are strengthening the global health architecture and the fight against antimicrobial resistance through the development of appropriate medical measures.
The health-related priorities of the ministries in the German G7 presidency
Various ministries of the G7 group will work together under the leadership of the respective federal department to promote the G7 process. They will hold working groups, ministerial meetings, and ministerial declarations. While the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) is the leading department on health other ministries will also work collaboratively on health issues.
Federal Ministry of Health (BMG)
- Joint termination of the corona pandemic and the strengthening of the ability to react to new pandemics.
- Regarding global health architecture, strengthen the WHO as a leading institution.
- Provide vaccines worldwide.
- Continued commitment to combat antibiotic resistance.
- Climate and health.
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
- Ensuring global access to Covid-19 vaccinations.
- Supporting the development of local capacities in the field of vaccine production in developing countries.
- Support initiatives such as ACT-A to finance vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics.
Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF)
- Overcoming the pandemic with the overarching goal of economic recovery from the crisis.
- Financing global supply of vaccines.
The BMF will continue and build on initiatives from the previous British presidency.
Federal Foreign Office (AA)
- Strengthening of multilateralism and global vaccine justice.
- Promote multilateral solutions and a general strengthening of the international health architecture within the UN system.
