PM calls for ‘global coordination’ to fight future catastrophe

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for “global coordination” as well as “putting more policy and financial focus” to effectively deal with any future world catastrophe like the present coronavirus pandemic.

“I will urge everyone to consider this crisis as a wakeup call for global coordination to effectively deal with any future world catastrophe and for putting more policy and financial focus on health issues like capacity building and achievement of health security for all,” she said in a letter to World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said in the letter, the prime minister mentioned that Bangladesh, from time immemorial, believes in working together with all countries – regionally and globally as practiced by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“We’re a strong believer in multilateralism. Since infectious disease and pandemics do not respect any border, we are further engaged regionally under the SAARC mechanism and globally through UN, and WHO to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 and to address this unprecedented crisis in the recent history,” she said.

The premier said Bangladesh is grateful to all the countries and organizations, which have extended their support to its health system. “We hope that WHO and international community will stand beside us to overcome this grave calamity,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina thanked the WHO director general for his relentless efforts and leadership during this crisis moments. “I’m confident that we will soon be able to leave behind this dark episode, unitedly,” she said.

The prime minister also thanked him for his comprehensive letter of March 23, 2020 which captured all the risks and the possible counter actions to effectively fight the global menace of COVID-19.

“Let me take this opportunity to thank WHO for their immediate pro-active actions and express our firm confidence in the role and actions taken by WHO in this regard,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina also thanked the WHO director general for his continuous personal supervision and leadership to face this crisis together all over the world.

“Like you, we also firmly believe that we can prevent the spread of COVID-19 by limiting and then breaking the chains of transmission,” she added.

Source: BSS