This Forum will be held from 29 to 31 January in Barcelona

President of the Government receives organisations promoting Global Forum on Childhood Pneumonia

President's News - 2020.1.28

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, received the organisations and institutions promoting the Global Forum on Childhood Pneumonia at Moncloa Palace. This Forum will begin on Wednesday in Barcelona. This is the first international conference on this disease, responsible for the deaths of some 800,000 children around the world each year, and seeks to raise awareness about its importance, encourage the adoption of effective measures at both a national and an international level, and mobilise the community of donors.

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, receives organisations promoting Global Forum on Childhood Pneumonia | Pool Moncloa/Diego del Monte - 2020.1.28

01:23 The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, receives organisations promoting Global...

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

Pedro Sánchez met on Tuesday afternoon with Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF, Anja Langenbucher, Europe Director at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and with representatives of the GAVI Alliance, Save the Children, ISGLOBAL and the La Caixa Foundation, institutions that have promoted this important global forum, to reach a consensus and back specific measures that governments and their partners will take on with the aim of eradicating childhood pneumonia around the world.

The President of the Government sought to express his support and gratitude to the promoters of this initiative for the day-to-day work they perform, and specifically for the organisation of this global forum that will gather more than 300 participants from 50 developing countries by 31 January, among them 20 Health Ministers and senior representatives from international health and development agencies, civil society, the private sector and the scientific community.

Pedro Sánchez reiterated Spain's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly to the health of children, highlighting the creation of the High Commissioner for Childhood Poverty as one of the first measures pushed through in 2018 and the development of the Global Health Strategy of Spanish Cooperation, which is now underway.

Pool Moncloa/Fernando CalvoPedro Sánchez stressed that Spain is committed to the accompaniment of scientific research in the fight against childhood pneumonia.

He also reiterated the commitment of the Government of Spain to continue increasing Official Development Aid with the aim of achieving, by the end of this legislature, the amount of 0.5% of Gross National Income in contributions, and to strengthening support for multilateral funds to finance development. In September 2019, the President of the Government announced a 352-million euro contribution to several international funds, including 100 million euros for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Non official translation