European heads of state must stand for the continent’s safety for a troubled time. State leaders such as France’s President Emmanuel Macron and the British prime minister Keir Starmer are now showing leadership for Europe and for Ukraine. It is also good to see the Storting significantly increase our support. But – Europe’s security challenges do not stop there. Støre and Norway rarely have good expertise in something that hit us just five years ago and who can also hit us again. Health safety is also emergency corona landscape from March 2020 showed us how vulnerable we are. And the research is clear: The likelihood of new pandemics is high. According to a Lancet Commission this fall, there is a full 50 percent probability of a new pandemic with higher mortality than Covid-19 before 2050. That means over 25 million deaths, ie far more than in the war in Ukraine and all war globally. The threat has become extra relevant in recent weeks. First, Trump decided that the United States resigns from the World Health Organization (WHO), contributing a fifth of all funding. Then he cut massively in American health assistance – about a third of all health assistance globally. Investing in prevention and health preparedness is far cheaper than dealing with a global pandemic after it has spread. Nevertheless, this is constantly being prioritized, even in rich countries. Norwegian emergency preparedness is not enough coronary commission’s evaluations are clear that Norway was not well prepared last. But better preparedness in Norway is not enough. Health crises know no boundaries. They can occur anywhere, and spread quickly. Therefore, a significant part of Norway’s efforts to protect us from future pandemics must be globally strengthened. Effective prevention and response to health crises globally requires flexible and actionable actors who are well coordinated. WHO plays a key role in this work today. The fact that Trump pulls the United States out of WHO is potentially disastrous, even for themselves. Good health safety in Norway also requires good health systems in other countries – even those who are poor. Had Rwanda not had a good system to identify and stop the outbreak of infection, the outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus, which was stopped at record speed in the fall, could threatened global security. We cannot expect poor countries to fully finance pandemic transfer, emergency preparedness and response alone. First, their health needs are great in other areas as well. Secondly, the benefits of such measures also accrue – and perhaps primarily – us in rich countries. In our self -interest to invest in health systems in developing countries, not just a matter of solidarity and assistance, but about investing in our own safety. It’s about global security and stability. Therefore, the responsibility should not only lie with the Minister of Development. Norwegian aid funds have already been severely pressed by increased support for Ukraine and increased refugee costs in Norway, and extraordinary needs due to Trump’s dramatic cuts in USAID. If Norway is to contribute significantly to Norwegian, European and global health safety, the investments cannot be limited by the aid of one percent of GNI. In the expert committee on global health, of which all undersigned were members of last fall, we recommended that Norway should increase its investments in Norwegian and global health safety. Norway should gather Europe and other countries for a power action for health safety where the United States fails. We have both funding, political will, expertise and credibility. A perfect role for Støre Both Jonas Gahr Støre and Jens Stoltenberg were central when Norway contributed to the creation of the Vaccine alliance Gavi. They got a Norwegian leader, Tore Godal, and later Erna Solberg increased Norway’s contribution. Solberg was also prime minister when Norway and several, three other countries and two foundations, created Cepi in 2016, a global coalition for the prevention of epidemics and pandemics. It should be important for the world’s response to COVID-19. Norway has historically played a leading role in global health, and we can do it again. It is five years since the start of the previous pandemic – let’s avoid it soon being a new one. We ask Støre to take leadership where Europe may need him the most, in health safety. The prime minister himself has worked in WHO, under Gro Harlem Brundtland, and has everything it takes to show direction and leadership. Europe needs that now. The authors were members of the Stoltenberg Committee on Global Health in the fall of 2024. Send us your statement Want to write? Feel free to contact us in news Ytring with your post. The guidelines can be found here. Published 13.03.2025, at. 11.39
ttn-69
