Global Parliament of Mayors 2019

The 2019 Annual Summit of the Global Parliament of Mayors was held from November 9-11 in Durban, South Africa and brought together city leaders and international experts to discuss city leadership and key global challenges at a local level.

The Center for Global Health Science and Security supported these efforts by taking the lead in organizing the health focus of the Summit, which focused on targeting vaccine hesitancy in cities around the world and improving capacities to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease threats.

Matt Boyce and Rebecca Katz traveled to Durban to deliver a statement that set the stage for the discussions held at the Summit, which culminated with the passing of the Durban Declaration.

The Center’s work was also supported by statements from Drs. Peter Hotez and Tom Frieden.

In the Durban Declaration, the Global Parliament of Mayors committed to:
– Promoting the achievement of at least 80% vaccination coverage for all vaccines in national immunization programs;
– Promoting the achievement of at least 90% vaccination coverage in [their] city’s 12-month old population with at least one dose of measles-containing vaccine; and
– Reducing the spread of misinformation and improving health literacy, especially among [their city’s] vulnerable populations

They called on national governments and institutions to:
– Prioritize funding for developing sub-national capacities required to implement the International Health Regulations in [their] cities; and
– Develop regional and local networks to advance the dissemination of trusted public health information.

And called on international institutions to:
– Promote information sharing and communication measures in and between cities to prevent and reduce the international spread of infectious diseases; and
– Prioritize the research and development of antibiotics, vaccines and other medicines for communicable diseases.