Finland awarded for improving health security
The Finnish multi-sectoral working group under the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) is to be awarded for its long-term effort to reduce the risk of disasters.
The Damir Cemerin award will be handed over by the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction at its meeting in Helsinki on Monday 3 October. The award will be received by the chair of the Finnish GHSA working group Päivi Sillanaukee, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
The GHSA is a partnership of nearly 50 nations and international organizations. Finland chaired the Steering Group of the agenda in 2015.
Under the Finnish leadership the GHSA developed a country assessment tool for evaluating the health security of each country and determining the necessary further measures. These independent assessments help countries to detect, prevent, and control communicable diseases and biological threats.
The World Health Organization WHO has already used this tool for 11 country assessments.
The Damir Cemerin award will be handed over by Kai Mykkänen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, and Robert Glasser, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The Finnish ministries involved in the GHSA work are the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Defence, Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Ministry of the Interior.
On the MSAH website:
Global Health Security Agenda - GHSA: health is security
On other websites:
Inquiries:
Outi Kuivasniemi, Ministerial Counsellor for International Affairs, tel. +358 2951 63117
Päivi Sillanaukee, Permanent Secretary, tel. +358 2951 63356
Picture: Pasi Autio