THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EPIDEMIC PREPAREDNESS

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 23 December, The UNSG wrote on the occasion of the international day of epidemic preparedness: Three years ago this month, the virus that causes COVID-19 was first detected.

 

The costs have been catastrophic. Millions of lives have been lost, and hundreds of millions of people have fallen ill. Economies were shattered, health systems were stretched, and trillions of dollars were lost. Progress toward Sustainable Development Goals has been thrown off track. And developing countries were often left to fend for themselves, shamefully denied the vaccines, tests, or treatments they needed to protect their people.

 

COVID-19 will not be the last epidemic or pandemic humanity faces. As a global community, we must heed the harsh lessons of COVID-19 and make bold investments in pandemic preparedness, prevention and response.

 

We need better surveillance to detect and monitor viruses with epidemic potential. We need more resilient health systems supported by universal health coverage. And we need a healthy workforce that is well-trained, well-equipped, and well-paid.

 

We also need equitable access to vaccines, treatments, diagnostics, and life-saving technology for all countries.

 

And we must fight the scourge of misinformation and pseudoscience with science and fact-based information.

 

A pandemic cannot be fought country by country. The world must come together.  COVID-19 was a wake-up call.

 

On this International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, I urge all countries to stand with our efforts to ensure the world is equipped and ready to take on the health challenges to come.