AHF joined forces with UNITE to sign a memorandum of understanding in Lisbon, Portugal on March 24th, 2022. The memorandum outlines their joint work to prevent and respond to future pandemics. UNITE is a global network of parliamentarians committed to driving political change and impact to end infectious diseases as a global health threat until 2030. They have more than 200 members across 70 countries. Considering the global devastation caused by COVID-19, it’s important that advocacy organizations like AHF and government organizations like UNITE partner to prepare for pandemics.
UNITE and AHF released statements to address the need for such collaborations and their missions to forge ahead. UNITE president Ricardo Baptiste Leite said, “UNITE has the right tools to achieve the required political impact, and the parliamentarians of the network are committed to doing so.” AHF President Michael Weinstein added, “To push for maximum political impact and change, we need parliamentarians on board, as they are the voice of the people.” Since UNITE’s beginning in 2017 , AHF has supported UNITE’s work in its different areas of intervention. Learn more about UNITE at www.unitenetwork.org.