Minister of Foreign Affairs Iruthisham Adam has called on the international community to provide sustainable, pre-emptive financing and robust structural support to strengthen public health systems across Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, speaking at the UNGA81 high-level meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR), Minister Iruthisham emphasised that vulnerable island nations require targeted global assistance to withstand future health emergencies without losing crucial socio-economic progress.
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Addressing world leaders and diplomats at the UN headquarters, Minister Iruthisham highlighted the disproportionate burden that global crises impose on small island economies. She noted that the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out more than one-third of the Maldives’ economic output in 2020 alone, effectively reversing 15 years of national development gains.
To prevent similar economic and social disruption in future health crises, Minister Iruthisham urged international partners to establish resilient supply chains for vaccines, medical diagnostics, and essential medicines. She stressed that SIDS urgently require continued global investment in several key areas:
- Disease Surveillance and Laboratories: Expanding regional and national laboratory networks and enhancing real-time disease surveillance systems.
- Technology Transfer and Workforce Training: Accelerating the transfer of health technologies and providing ongoing training for healthcare professionals.
- Pre-emptive Financing Mechanisms: Securing direct, accessible funding streams to prepare health infrastructure prior to the outbreak of emergencies.
During her address, Minister Iruthisham reaffirmed the Maldives’ commitment to multilateral health frameworks. She pledged the nation’s full support to the World Health Organization’s Pandemic Agreement and the ongoing implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005).
She further noted that effective preparedness relies on interconnected international health networks, secure medical supply lines, and community-level empowerment to handle health emergencies directly.
The high-level session on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response was convened under UN General Assembly Resolution 79/333 to review global progress following the 2023 Political Declaration on PPPR. The gathering brought together international delegates to address critical gaps in global health security, renew political pledges, and build resilient healthcare infrastructure capable of safeguarding vulnerable populations worldwide.
