The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has called for stronger local institutions and sustained investment in national preparedness systems to enable countries to effectively lead and sustain responses to future health emergencies.
Ms Aurélia Nguyen, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of CEPI, made the call during a high-level discussion on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York, monitored by reporters via webinar on Tuesday.
The session was titled “Resilience and Stability for All: Prioritising International Partnerships for Our Shared Health and Security.” It examined how international partnerships and investments could be strengthened amid growing threats from disease outbreaks, climate shocks, conflict, technological disruption and shrinking development financing.
The event was hosted by the Resilience Action Network International (RANI), The Elders and the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
Nguyen said international partnerships should go beyond providing emergency support during crises, stressing the need to strengthen the people, systems and institutions required for countries to prepare for, detect and respond to health threats. The objective, she said, should be to ensure that countries can lead and sustain their own responses while benefiting from international expertise, financing and technology when required.
The intervention came as global health financing faces increasing pressure, with countries simultaneously confronting outbreaks, climate-related threats, conflict and competing domestic priorities.
Ms Eloise Todd, Executive Director and co-founder of RANI, who moderated the discussion, cited findings attributed to ODI Global showing that every euro of European Union development assistance to Africa generated nearly seven euros in additional EU exports and services.
Ms Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, urged leaders to look beyond immediate crises, highlighting the role of middle powers in advancing cooperation on climate action, artificial intelligence governance and pandemic preparedness.
Dr Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said disease outbreaks in the country stem from weaknesses in health governance and infrastructure, as well as conflict and displacement. He called for locally led partnerships, sustained preparedness between outbreaks and stronger community trust, stressing that epidemic preparedness is also a global security concern.
Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, warned about growing pressure on the planet’s ecological systems and said disinformation was undermining climate action. She called for stronger science-based communication, closer attention to the links between environmental and pandemic risks, and greater investment in clean energy in developing countries.
Meanwhile, the second panel, themed “Getting Specific on the Returns from International Investments,” examined the economic, social and security benefits of investing in global health.
Mr Pascal Barollier, Gavi’s Chief External Engagement, Communications and Advocacy Officer, said the organisation had secured more than $9 billion for its 2026–2030 strategy against an $11.9-billion target. He cautioned against allowing the emphasis on health sovereignty to become a justification for wealthier countries to reduce development assistance. Countries receiving Gavi support were already contributing domestic resources to vaccine financing, he said, demonstrating that national investment and international support could work together.
Mr Aggrey Aluso, Executive Director of the Resilience Action Network Africa (RANA), challenged the perception that global health investment was simply an act of solidarity between rich and poor countries. Using the example of neighbouring houses threatened by the same fire, Aluso said countries were safer when their neighbours had the capacity to detect, contain and respond to health threats.
Mrs Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, said Nigeria had responded to reductions in external health financing with about $200 million. However, she noted that the contribution remained below the scale of the funding shortfall, highlighting the need for stronger alignment between international assistance, domestic investment and national health priorities.
She also stressed the importance of civil society and community engagement in building sustainable health systems. Communities often encountered government and development partners mainly during vaccination campaigns or emergencies, she said, raising questions about why their everyday health needs were not being addressed.
Ihekweazu called for greater domestic ownership of health and data systems, increased investment by African governments and stronger alignment between international partners and national priorities. She identified maternal health, nutrition and immunisation as areas where increased investment should produce measurable improvements.
She ended her intervention with a message of collective determination: “If we can all be prisoners of hope, that would be a good place to land by 2045.”
Experts said the discussion underscored the need to move from short-term crisis response towards sustained investment in health systems, surveillance, institutions, communities and vaccine preparedness. For CEPI, stronger local capacity would enable countries to respond more effectively to emerging threats while ensuring that international partnerships remain available when crises exceed national capacity.
