America News Agency

The European Union and Canada have taken a strategic step to strengthen health preparedness and supply chains.

European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib announced in a social media post that the EU and Canada were deepening their cooperation on health preparedness and that the first Ministerial Dialogue on Medical Countermeasures had been launched together with Canadian Minister of Industry Melanie Joly.

During this first ministerial-level meeting, attention was drawn to the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the vital importance of cooperation during global health crises. In her remarks, Lahbib stated: "COVID-19 taught us that when countries act alone, we lose time, but when we work together, we save lives. In a world where a virus can cross the Atlantic as easily as an airplane, we must prepare together to detect dangers earlier and act faster."

"HERA and HERC are natural partners"

Highlighting the structural similarities and resemblance in names between Europe's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and its Canadian counterpart, HERC, Lahbib stated that the two institutions were natural partners.

The mechanisms established aim to increase vaccine and medicine production capacities and ensure that critical medical supplies reach people quickly when they are needed.

As part of this comprehensive initiative, both sides expressed their determination to strengthen supply chains and enhance preparedness against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats.

At the same time, the initiative aims to support research and development activities and strengthen civil-military cooperation. It was emphasized that, during this period of increasing global risks, friendship and mutual trust were being translated into concrete steps.