In the eighth and final webinar of the 2021 Development Matters lecture series, which is supported by Irish Aid, Dr Mike Ryan joins Minister Colm Brophy to consider global health preparedness and response for the future. They explore our collective responsibility in the context of global public health security. They will also address the issue of global vaccine equity in the context of COVID-19 variants and discuss how public health systems, tools and infrastructure might be improved in regions least equipped to mitigate health emergencies.

About the Speakers:

Dr Mike Ryan was appointed Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme in 2019, having served as Assistant Director-General for Emergency Preparedness and Response from 2017 to 2019. Dr Ryan has worked at the forefront of managing acute risks to global health for nearly 25 years. He first joined the WHO in 1996.

Colm Brophy is a Fine Gael TD representing Dublin South-West. He was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora in July 2020. Minister Brophy was first elected to the Dáil in 2016 and during his first term served as Chairman of the Budgetary Oversight Committee and a Member of both the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality and the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs. Prior to this, Minister Brophy was a Member of South Dublin County Council. He is a former President of the Association of Irish Local Government.