COVID-19: a continued call for international solidarity and equity

28^th Standing Committee of the Regional Committee (SCRC), Third Session (virtual, 10-11 March 2021)

Statement, 12 March 2021

Exactly one year after COVID-19 was characterized as a pandemic, the Twenty-eighth Standing Committee of the Regional Committee for Europe (SCRC), on the occasion of its third regular meeting on 10–11 March:

• wishes to express its heartfelt sympathy and solidarity with all people, families and communities who have been directly or indirectly affected by this pandemic, which has to date reached the level of nearly 41 million confirmed cases and 900 000 registered deaths in the WHO European Region;
• appreciates the dedication and sacrifice of frontline workers throughout this pandemic in protecting and saving lives wherever possible and at a high personal cost;
• is mindful of the negative collateral impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of other health conditions, including mental health and noncommunicable diseases;
• acknowledges the devastating impact of the pandemic on all sectors, including people’s livelihoods and countries’ economies, as well as the social consequences and the setbacks for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals;
• is aware that the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences have exacerbated social and economic inequities and have hit severely the most vulnerable;
• reminds that personal protection measures (frequent hand hygiene, physical and social distancing, respiratory etiquette, use of masks if ill or attending to someone who is ill, and environmental cleaning and disinfection at home) are a cornerstone for COVID-19 control and prevention;
• welcomes the development and production of vaccines in record time, effectively protecting people from the serious health effects of COVID-19 and preventing health systems from collapsing;
• while acknowledging the importance of vaccines as an effective measure of fighting the virus, also notes the wide gap in access to vaccines between countries in the European Region as a stark reminder of persisting inequities;
• recalls that no single country is safe until all countries are safe and that economic and social recovery is only possible if disparities in vaccination coverage, both regional and global, are addressed; and
• commends individual countries and subregional organizations that have demonstrated international solidarity and have effectively contributed to and supported other countries in procuring and deploying vaccines, including through the COVAX Facility.

In this context the SCRC, acting on behalf of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, calls upon Member States to:

• adhere to the general principles of international solidarity, multilateral cooperation and cross-country coordination at all levels to successfully contain and control the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its impact;
• help wherever possible to ensure that health care workers and other frontline workers as well as vulnerable groups across the Region can be prioritized in national vaccination strategies and that national health systems are stabilized;
• apply whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches to contain further spread of the virus within communities and across borders;
• within a national context, commit to early, fair and equitable access to quality and safe testing, treatment and vaccination for COVID-19, which are free at point of use, whilst at the same time maintaining access to essential health services, including mental health and non-COVID-19 related services; and
• further step up their preparedness capacities, including the International Health Regulations (2005) core capacities, plan for the recovery phase and prepare for any future health emergencies.

Expressing its highest appreciation to the WHO Regional Director for Europe for the leading role that WHO/Europe has taken in supporting Member States throughout the pandemic and coordinating actions among them, the SCRC calls upon the WHO Regional Office for Europe to:

• continue to use its convening power to advocate for timely and universal access to vaccines and facilitate international cooperation and solidarity in the pandemic response;
• further coordinate action at regional and country levels to contain and control COVID 19 and mitigate its impact;
• maintain a dual-track approach so that support is provided to countries in addressing post-COVID-19 conditions, the collateral effects of the pandemic and maintaining access to essential health services, with the aim of leaving no one behind;
• assist Member States in improving their understanding of the virus, adopting evidence-based public health measures and providing the population with reliable and comprehensive information on COVID-19 treatment and immunization;
• take proper account of the lessons learned in the European Region from the response to this pandemic to help end its acute phase and build resilience and better preparedness for future emergencies, using the all-hazard and hazard-specific approaches; and
• contribute to building back better our health and social care systems in the light of current and future pandemics.