Thailand’s Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara has called for greater investment in Universal Health Coverage (UHC), to ensure the resilience of health systems, social protections, social justice and health equity.

Describing COVID-19 as one of the most serious multidimensional crises of our time, Parnpree said the international community should expedite reforms of the global health architecture, to improve its equity, inclusivity and coherence, through capacity building and the enhancement of public-private partnership for a digital transformation of health systems.

Parnpree, also a deputy prime minister, was speaking during the High-level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR) on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

“It is vital to intensify development cooperation for PPPR, which is essential to global health security, through innovative means, including through sharing of health-related intellectual property rights through the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP),” he said.

According to the Thai Government House online website, the meeting was a platform for Thailand to reaffirm her commitment to working with the international community to improve the world’s PPPR.

It also approved a political declaration on PPPR, showing that the international community is united and ready to work as one in a spirit of partnership and cooperation towards the common good.