UNITED NATIONS: During the first-ever summit on pandemic prevention and response, United Nations (UN) Member States came together on Wednesday to pledge their commitment to preventing a repeat of the devastating health and socio-economic crises caused by COVID-19.
They also aimed to effectively enhance the world’s capacity to combat future pandemics. A milestone political declaration was adopted, and nations expressed their determination to get back on track to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), welcomed this historic milestone, emphasizing the importance of global leaders providing the necessary political support and guidance. The focus is safeguarding people’s health, investing in local capabilities, promoting equity, and bolstering the global emergency health infrastructure.
Pakistan’s caretaker, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq, also addressed the summit, calling on the international community to ensure better preparedness through legally binding obligations to enhance resilience against future pandemics.
The political declaration, the outcome of months of negotiations, emphasizes the urgency for Member States to conclude discussions on a formal agreement regarding pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, known as the Pandemic Accord. Targeted amendments to International Health Regulations are also part of this effort and will be completed by May.
Additionally, the declaration highlights the need to address the negative impacts of health-related misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and stigmatization, particularly on social media platforms. It advocates for science-based public information campaigns instead.
Member States have committed to strengthening health workforces, rapid response capabilities, surveillance systems, and local manufacturing capacities to meet their pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response needs.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the declaration’s importance, acknowledging both human ingenuity and societal shortcomings exposed during the global response to COVID-19. While significant achievements were made in rapid testing and vaccine development, there were also evident issues of unpreparedness, disproportionate impacts on the poorest nations, and hoarding of vaccines by wealthier countries.
Guterres urged countries to avoid repeating these mistakes in the face of future pandemics and health threats. He called on nations to support the WHO, increasing their financial contributions. The declaration will be formally submitted to the General Assembly for endorsement. —APP
