II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 16

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vulnerabilidades nas cadeias de abastecimento médico.

O Deputado Pedro Cegonho (PS) participou no debate com a seguinte intervenção:

Thank you, Mister President.

Fisrt of all, I want to congratulate our rapporteur, Ms Selin SAYEK BÖKE, for this report

and for the draft resolution presented.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a wake-up call to the entire world about the importance of

co-ordination and co-operation, prevention, readiness, and global response in public health.

Nevertheless, by the end of 2022, Covid-19 vaccines delivered by the global vaccine

access initiative, COVAX, helped avert 2.7 million deaths across 92 lower-income

countries.

At the level of the European Union, all major reports confirm that the programmes and joint actions, namely

the SURE programme, were successful in cushioning the impact of the pandemic and supporting the recovery

in 2021.

In view of these results, we can conclude that there is a growing need for more inclusive, impartial and

equitable access to health services in favour of universal coverage. The recovery from the impact of the

pandemic clearly demonstrated how lacking global preparedness is for these crises.

The World Health Organization has organised meetings in which it seeks to develop topics such as climate

change and health, preparedness for pandemics, sustainable health systems, emphasising the importance of

equity in health, the culture of peace and the advantages of multilateralism. We must work to reduce

inequalities, including inequality in access to the benefits of scientific and technological knowledge. In the age

of artificial intelligence and significant advances in digital health, it is crucial that these new technologies be

both accessible and ethically oriented tools in order to further promote change in global health.

Richer countries should be asked to pull their weight better in helping the world cope with future pandemics

and other major health crises, according to a new draft of a treaty being negotiated at the World Health

Organization.

Health is a fundamental human right, which must be guaranteed to all people, regardless of their origin,

race, gender, age or social status. Health is also an essential factor of sustainable development, peace, and

world security. Without health, there is no prosperity, no justice, no dignity.

Thank you, Mister President.

A Deputada Edite Estrela (PS), na qualidade de relatora da Comissão da

Igualdade e da Não Discriminação, apresentou o Relatório Reduzir o fosso

digital: promover a igualdade de acesso às tecnologias digitais (Doc. 15776),

tendo sido adotada a Resolução 2510 (2023), a 23 de junho.

O Relatório demonstra como as tecnologias digitais estão cada vez mais

presentes em todos os aspetos da nossa vida, oferecendo progressos e

oportunidades consideráveis. No entanto, para aqueles que não têm acesso

a estas tecnologias ou que não são capazes de as utilizar, o fosso digital

tornou-se um importante obstáculo à igualdade.

Na Resolução adotada, os membros da APCE reconhecem a urgência desta questão e instam os Estados-

Membros e os Estados observadores, bem como os Estados parceiros para a democracia, a darem prioridade

às políticas destinadas a colmatar o fosso digital e a trabalharem no sentido de tornar as tecnologias,

ferramentas e serviços digitais «inclusivos, equitativos, acessíveis, económicos e seguros para todos». Para

atingir estes objetivos, é essencial um financiamento adequado, um controlo parlamentar regular e o apoio a

iniciativas locais.

A Assembleia apela igualmente aos Estados para que assegurem o acesso universal à internet e garantam

o acesso de todos a uma ligação à internet fiável e a preços acessíveis, para que combatam a iliteracia digital