UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his message that the world is not yet ready to deal with the next global pandemic.
According to him, the current situation is dangerous despite the devastation caused by the covid-19 pandemic and its terrible education. “COVID-19 was a wake-up call for the world.”
This global pandemic has caused massive human, economic and social losses. “This crisis appears to have passed, but a stark lesson remains: the world is not prepared for the next global pandemic.”
He noted that there have been outbreaks of smallpox, cholera, polio, Marburg virus and other diseases in the recent past and the threat remains constant.
In this context, the UN Secretary-General emphasized the need for strong, inclusive healthcare systems.
He emphasized that investment must be made in global pandemic monitoring, detection and response. Additionally, health preparedness is critical to meeting the commitment to universal health coverage.
In parallel, it is a moral imperative to provide vaccines, treatment and diagnostic services to the population in an equitable manner. He mentioned that it was a sad experience to see these anomalies during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Global approach to prevention
Secretary-General Guterres emphasized the importance of the agreement to prepare and respond to global pandemics. Negotiations are going on between the countries to agree on this agreement.
He said, through this system, better efforts will be made in the health sector in the world, it will be possible to prevent and control epidemics in the future.
“Today, and every day, let us resolve to build a safer and healthier world for everyone, everywhere.”
The World Health Organization also said in its message on the day that it is important to adopt a ‘one health’ approach, which integrates human, animal and environmental health, to reduce the risk of pandemics.