"We rejected the text of the Declaration they wanted to promote because it introduces ideological slogans unrelated to health. We will only support technical documents that are verifiable and respectful of sovereignty," the minister emphasized, in line with the position of his counterpart from the United States, Robert Kennedy Jr.
"We believe in modern international cooperation, where the patient comes first and health is not held hostage to political interests," he added.
Mario Lugones's speech at the UN
To conclude, the head of the national health portfolio emphasized: “We believe in international cooperation, but a modern cooperation: free, transparent, and evidence-based, not on global slogans. Argentina has already started down this path. We trust that other free nations will join this new paradigm, where the patient comes first and health is not held hostage to political interests.”
The Minister's agenda also included participation in the event “Revolutionizing Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Care: Expanding Access through Primary Health Care”, organized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) together with Saudi Arabia and Mexico; at the roundtable breakfast “Every Minute Counts: Accelerating the Global Response to NCDs through Urgent Action on Stroke”; and at the breakfast on multilateralism in health, together with representatives from different countries.
Minister Lugones's address confirms the paradigm shift being driven by the Government in health matters.
Argentina is leaving behind improvisation and isolation to move toward a preventive, transparent, and evidence-based model, while regaining a leading role in the international discussion on health policies.
