Report on – 33rd IC Resolution 3: Time to act: Tackling epidemics and pandemics together (33IC/19/R3) – Australia

Has your State/National Society/Institution incorporated the commitments contained in this resolution into the relevant strategic or operational plans?

The commitments are incorporated into:
Policy
Operational plan

At the International, Regional level

Explanation:

Australia’s AUD620 million Partnerships for a Healthy Region (PHR) initiative supports Pacific and Southeast Asian countries to build more resilient health systems that are better able to prepare for, prevent and respond to health emergencies, including infectious disease outbreaks.  

Since PHR’s commencement in 2023, Australia has established new partnerships in the Pacific and Southeast Asia to: 

• improve HIV testing and treatment, reduce stigma and discrimination, and lower transmission; 

• increase access to high-quality safe and effective medicines, enhancing health care in communities; 

• improve collection and analysis of health data in the Pacific, so that we better understand community health needs and how to respond to them ; and 

• develop more effective treatments for tuberculosis and help ensure treatments reach those who need them. 

  Through PHR’s work with Australian Red Cross, we are: 

• strengthening community engagement to support communicable disease prevention and preparedness, including community-based surveillance; delivering enhanced data for decision making; 

• conducting community-led vector control, vaccine risk communication and outbreak response; and 

• enhancing the One Health approach at the primary health level in in Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. 

Australia also supports the World Health Organization (WHO) to assist global efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to pandemics. This includes work to mitigate the risk of future pandemics, such as strengthening national health systems and developing more coordinated responses to emerging disease threats in our region.  

Australia is also strengthening regional response capacity through our support to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to develop vaccines for known high-risk infectious diseases, and to increase the strength, availability and use of public health data for decision-making. 

The Australian Government is translating lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and contributing to meaningful reforms to global health architecture. This includes Australia’s active engagement in negotiations on a new international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response under the auspices of the World Health Organisation. 

Has your State/National Society/Institution been working with other partners to implement the commitments contained in this resolution?

Partner with:
National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society in your country
Government and/or public authorities
Humanitarian and development partners (e.g. UN, NGOs etc.)

Examples of cooperation:

Our contributions to the WHO (AUD100 million), Pandemic Fund, COVAX and CEPI support a coordinated and predictable approach to infectious disease outbreaks through investments. 

Our current program with the Australian Red Cross builds on five years of Australian Red Cross support to Pacific National Society partners to strengthen community epidemic preparedness and response capacity. We are leveraging the unique reach and relationships with Pacific country governments of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement to strengthen communities’ ability to detect and contain infectious disease outbreaks. 

Have you encountered any challenges in implementing the commitments contained in this resolution?

Have the commitments contained in this resolution had an impact on the work and direction of your State/National Society/Institution?

Type of Impact:
Cooperation between Government/public authorities and National Society has been strengthened
Training and capacity of staff and volunteers has increased (for National Societies)

Details about the impact:

Australia is committed to ensuring a predictable and coordinated approach to epidemics and pandemics by supporting countries in our region to strengthen capacities under the International Health Regulations (2005), including through supporting Australian and regional National Red Cross Societies to work with communities to improve disease outbreak detection on the front line.

Have the commitments contained in this resolution had an impact on the communities that your State/National Society/Institution serves?

Description of the impact:

The PHR initiative helps build resilient and equitable health systems in the Pacific and Southeast Asia, supporting partner countries to reduce disease risks, burdens and respond effectively to health emergencies.