The Spanish Society of Public Health and Health Administration (SESPAS) has sent a letter to the Minister of Health, Mónica García Gómez, and the Secretary of State for Health, Javier Padilla Bernáldez, in which it demands that an immediate and priority boost be given to the procedures and agreements between ministries necessary for the Statute of the State Agency for Public Health to be approved before the general elections on November 29.
The document, signed by its president, Manuel F. Herrera Artiles, emphasizes SESPAS's recognition of the "institutional effort made to advance an initiative long demanded by the scientific and professional community."
In the letter, it is stressed that "after so many years of waiting, it would be especially concerning for an initiative already backed by a law and with a determined headquarters to remain pending an uncertain horizon," and it warns that delaying its regulatory development could notably complicate its implementation, "as it would be exposed to the times of forming a new Government and to the redefinition of priorities and agreements."
The organization also emphasizes that having a fully operational Agency is a key requirement for the protection of collective health against the impact of climate change, new health threats, social inequalities, and misinformation, which "require solid technical capacities, scientific knowledge, and sustained cooperation between administrations."
From the Board of Directors of SESPAS, it is emphasized that "the new institution must contribute to strengthening that response with technical independence, respect for autonomous competencies, and a One Health approach," and its implementation is considered a "decisive step" that must be accompanied by the "resources and necessary capacities" for it to adequately perform its duties.