Kluge after meeting with officials: Put health at the top of political priorities

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zoran Tegeltija said today that BiH and the World Health Organization (WHO) will sign a new two-year cooperation agreement today.

After the meeting with the Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, Hans Kluge, which was also attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska, Radovan Višković, and the Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH, Fadil Novalić, he noted that this cooperation has been ongoing for 20 years, during which the WHO provides BiH with opportunities to acquire treatment knowledge.

"I would like to commend the health authorities for their coordination in the fight against coronavirus in BiH. The WHO wants to cooperate with all levels of government to put health at the top of political priorities," said Kluge.

He added that the WHO will continue to advocate for vaccine distribution and promote the importance of their equitable distribution in the pan-European region.

"We must all understand that this is not routine immunization but emergency immunization to combat a global pandemic. The only way to end the pandemic as soon as possible is through solidarity. I see light at the end of the tunnel, however, it is not time to relax; what is currently happening in India can happen anywhere. If measures are suddenly relaxed, the problem can easily return," Kluge emphasized.

The meeting today discussed the coronavirus pandemic and the health sector after the pandemic, so that it can better respond to other possible pandemics and challenges.

Tegeltija reminded today that out of 1,230,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines that BiH paid for through the Covax mechanism, only 50,000 have arrived, and another 100,000 doses are expected next week, which is less than 10 percent of the expected amount.

During the meeting, attention was also paid to the mental health of the population, which has been exhausted by numerous restrictions introduced to prevent the spread of the pandemic, such as lockdowns and others.

The meeting today was also attended by the Minister of Civil Affairs of BiH, Ankica Gudeljević, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Srpska, Alen Šeranić, and the Assistant Federal Minister of Health, Goran Čerkez.