The 7th Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) meeting on 28th – 30th November, 2022

The 7^th Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) meeting was held in the Republic of Korea on 28 – 30 November, 2022. The summit was attended by GHSA member states around the world. The Uganda delegation included Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, Hon. Minister of Health, Dr. Henry G. Mwebesa, Director General Health Services, Dr. Alex Riolexus Ario, Director, Uganda National Institute of Public Health, Dr. Issa Makumbi, Director, National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, Dr. Henry Bosa Kyobe, Incident Commander, National Ebola Virus Disease Response, Peter Ahabwe Babigumira, Infectious Diseases Institute, Dr. Diana Stella Nasike, Health Security Policy Officer, Ministry of Health and Ms. Abirahmi Kananathan, Communications Officer, Ministry of Health.

The GHSA meeting climaxed with a new Seoul Declaration which was read by Hon. Dr. Aceng. The declaration commended and urged GHSA members to continue to strengthen multisectoral and multilateral cooperation to prepare for and respond to future COVID-19 variants and other infectious disease crises that may pose a threat to global health security again. It emphasized the role that GHSA has played to advance the goal of a world safe and secure from emerging and reemerging infectious diseases through building technical expertise and collaborating through Action Packages for the prevention, detection of and response to infectious diseases in order to help strengthen national capacities and advance regional and global health security. The declaration recommended extension of the GHSA for a third five-year phase from January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2028, to continue facilitating the full implementation of the International Health Regulations and help enhance countries’ relevant technical capacities.

During the visit, the Hon. Minister of Health and her entourage met a number of high-profile delegates and discussed matters of mutual interest. Top on this list, was a visit to the Korean Federation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) where the team met the President of KOFIH, Prof. Dr. Chang-Yup Kim and his team and discussed key projects which are being supported by KOFIH in Uganda notably Support to Emergency Medical Services and Strengthening the Health System to Prevent, Detect and Respond to Infectious Diseases Control in Uganda. KOFIH promised to expand the support beyond the current coverage to cover areas such as National Cancer Management and Capacity Building in Uganda.

Dr. Ario and Dr. Makumbi crowned up the KOFIH HQ visit by presenting the Infectious Diseases Situation, Preparedness and Response in Uganda to the KOFIH team and other Korean key institutions including those involved in traditional medicines (Association of Korean Medicine), tuberculosis control (Korean Tuberculosis Association), community support mechanisms (Good Neighbours) amongst others. All the institutions present expressed interest in collaborating with Uganda Government through the Uganda National Institute of Public Health and Ministry of Health.

Special appreciation goes to the Uganda KOFIH team led by The Country Director, Mr. Bounggui Kim, for ensuring that the visit to the Republic of Korea was a resounding success.