Science Academies call for G20 action on improving global health
22 March 2017Science academies of the G20 states, including the Royal Society in the UK, have joined forces to highlight the global challenge of diseases that endanger global health and threaten the global economy.
The annual Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Group of Twenty will be held on 7 and 8 July 2017 in Germany. For the first time, the science and research community will play an active role in this process and have drawn up recommendations on improving global health.
In a joint statement – delivered today to Chancellor Angela Merkel – the academies offer strategies and tools to tackle communicable and non-communicable diseases and to strengthen public health systems. The joint document provides a basis for the G20 Summit consultations.
John Skehel, Vice-President and Biological Secretary, The Royal Society says, “The Royal Society has played a role in shaping this statement because it believes that science has an essential role to play in the health and wellbeing of society. However, tackling the global threat of diseases is going to take the concerted efforts of science and governments working together. The support and leadership of the G20 governments is vital.”