It is an honour to participate in the first Nobel Prize Summit. For 120 years, the Nobel Prize has been awarded to the brightest minds in each generation – in science, in literature and in politics. https://www.eudebates.tv/ Every Nobel Prize celebrates one leap forward for humanity. From Marie Curie's radioactivity to Emmanuelle Charpentier's genome editing. It's science at the service of humankind.
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The pandemic has reminded us how much we need science. In the recent past, some political leaders questioned the value of science and the advice of experts. For me, as a medical doctor by training, it was painful to watch. So I am particularly glad for this opportunity to celebrate the Nobel laureates' contribution, and put renewed trust in science.

This year, the whole world has turned towards science to understand what was happening to us. What was this invisible force that shuttered our lives and our communities. We've turned towards science for advice and for solutions. And science did deliver. In less than ten months after the beginning of the pandemic, the first vaccines were approved.

If today we have hope, it is thanks to men and women who have dedicated their entire life to the laboratory, to a career of hard work and – very often – little recognition. The world owes you.

I will not forget how much the scientific community has helped us in the toughest moments of this year. In the early days of the crisis, I met regularly with a group of scientists, chaired by virologist Peter Piot. Working with them reminded me of a phrase I first heard when I was a medical student in Germany.

It's a quote from Rudolf Virchow, a 19th century physician who authored a seminal study on epidemics and public health. Virchow said that “politics is nothing else but medicine on a large scale.” I can hardly think of a better definition of everything we've done this year. We have relied on science. And we have tried to put politics at the service of science, and public health.

For instance, exactly one year ago Europe contributed to creating the Access to Covid Tools Accelerator. It works for the worldwide development of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics against COVID-19. COVAX is part of this initiative. It is THE global facility making vaccines available and affordable to all low- and middle-income countries, with financing from high-income countries. Science tells us that we must fight the virus in all corners of the world. This is the only effective strategy against the pandemic. But for this, we need international cooperation. We need politics intended as medicine on a large scale.

Today I would like to tell you three reasons why, and three ways how, our governments need to work with science.