2 April 2015
SG/A/1558
Secretary-General Appoints High-Level Panel on Global Response to Health Crises
Press Release
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of a High-level Panel on the Global Response to Health Crises.

The Secretary-General has appointed Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, as Chair. A full list of Panel members appears below. The Secretary-General has asked the Panel to make recommendations to strengthen national and international systems to prevent and manage future health crises, taking into account lessons learned from the response to the outbreak of Ebola virus disease.

In carrying out its work, the Panel will undertake a wide range of consultations, including with representatives from the affected countries and communities, the United Nations system, multilateral and bilateral financial institutions and regional development banks, non-governmental organizations, countries supporting the response effort, other Member States, health-care providers, academic and research institutions, the private sector and other experts. The Panel will be supported by a Resource Group of leading experts which is to provide advice to the Panel on technical and other issues.

The Panel will hold its first meeting in early May 2015 and is expected to submit its final report to the Secretary-General at the end of December 2015. The Secretary-General will make the report available to the General Assembly and undertake further action as appropriate.

Panel Members
– Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (United Republic of Tanzania)
– Celso Amorim (Brazil)
– Micheline Calmy-Rey (Switzerland)
– Marty Natalegawa (Indonesia)
– Joy Phumaphi (Botswana)
– Rajiv Shah (United States)

[Full press release including bios here: http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sga1558.doc.htm]