As the international community prepares to lay out the development agenda beyond 2015, we are witnessing an emerging consensus on the major paradigm shifts that will be necessary to secure a brighter future for the next generation.

There is no doubt that in today's increasingly integrated world, forming a new global partnership will be one of the most transformative shifts we can make. This partnership, rooted in a shared common vision and collective action, has one simple idea at its core— our fates, as people and as nations, are connected. What happens in one part of the world can affect us all. Global cooperation is no longer a moral obligation to provide assistance to the people who need it; it is a proven investment in the long-term prosperity of all people and the planet.

Mr. President,

Nowhere is the need for effective global partnerships more evident than in the field of global health. In one generation, development goals that once seemed unachievable are now within our reach.  At the same time, we are confronting global health challenges that threaten to set us back decades. 

In recent months, we have seen the Ebola epidemic transform from a disease outbreak to a humanitarian emergency to a full-fledged development crisis that threatens to destabilize an already fragile region.  The Ebola epidemic has had significant political, social, economic, humanitarian and security implications. The complexity of the crisis has driven enormous efforts by a growing number of civil society organizations, along with other partners, who have been operating on the front lines, often in extremely difficult environments.

Mr. President,

Israel was quick to join the effort in containing and mitigating the outbreak in West Africa. Our immediate response included the shipment of basic medical equipment and drugs to Sierra Leone, protective gear to the African Union headquarters as well as the dispatching of doctors to neighboring Cameroon and Cote d'Ivoire, to help strengthen the local capacity in emergency preparedness.

Israel has also recently shipped field clinics called "Hospitals of Hope". These mobile clinics each include twenty beds, protective gear, treatment carts, and all the medical equipment required to treat patients. Israeli experts will train the local health personnel and instruct them on how to operate the clinics. Israeli NGOs will work simultaneously to locate and recruit additional local medical staff for the clinics.

Israel understands that protection is just as important as prevention.  Despite its high mortality rate, Ebola can be stopped with proper precautions. The challenge is disseminating that information in local languages to the people at high risk.

In the face of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, mobile applications are helping workers in the field streamline Ebola research and receive reliable updates from ministries of heath, even when they are on the frontlines in remote areas.

Mobile applications can also help disseminate information about Ebola in local languages. The Israeli app "About Ebola" has been downloaded over 10,,000 times in West Africa and is available in local languages such as Jola, Krio, Liberian English and Wolof. 

Mr. President,

Major health crises, including the Ebola outbreak, often have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, children and elderly persons.

On September 18^th of this year, thirty-six year old Comfort Fayiah went into labor in Monrovia, Liberia. Her family had to struggle to find a health center where she could deliver. They went to four different clinics, but were refused entry each time. They were only a few meters from the last clinic they were forced out of when Comfort collapsed on the side of the road in the pouring rain and delivered twin girls.

Tragically, Comfort's story is not an isolated case. There are mounting reports of women being refused care in the wake of a complete breakdown of health systems. Ebola is threatening to wipe out gains in safe motherhood, and we therefore must ensure that global efforts meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of women and mothers in countries affected by this crisis. In this regard, Israel strongly supports the target on ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services contained in the Open Working Group proposal.

Mr. President,

Multi-stakeholder partnerships play a fundamental role in achieving collectively agreed global health priorities.

As Robert Kennedy said: “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events – and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.”

Israel strongly believes that the new global partnership should include the broadest possible range of actors—including national Governments, local authorities, international institutions, business, civil society organizations, foundations, philanthropists, scientists, academics. And finally, we cannot forget the crucial contribution of individuals. As we look beyond 2015, we must never lose sight of the aspirations of the first words of the founding charter of the United Nations—"We the people". If we work together, there is no limit to what can be achieved.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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