The World leaders at the ongoing 81st United Nations General Assembly in the U.S. have renewed commitment to strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness and response through sustained investment and global cooperation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Friday that the commitment was made at the second UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, held three years after the inaugural meeting convened amid COVID-19.
“Leaders stressed that pandemic preparedness is not solely a health-sector responsibility, requiring coordinated action by governments, communities and relevant sectors to strengthen national and global health security.
“They acknowledged progress since 2023, including adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, amendments to the International Health Regulations and expanded infrastructure for surveillance, pathogen sharing and local production,” it said.
The Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, said that continued investment was essential to sustain progress, noting that COVID-19 caused more than 20 million excess deaths between 2020 and 2023.
Ghebreyesus said that the pandemic also wiped over 10 trillion dollars from the global economy, exposing weaknesses in global health security and demonstrating the consequences of inadequate preparedness.
He called for concrete and urgent action to strengthen local and national capacities, invest in resilient health systems and expand equitable access to pandemic-related products, tools and resources.
“The meeting also emphasised the need to conclude negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing system, a key component of the WHO Pandemic Agreement currently being negotiated by member states.
“The proposed system would facilitate timely sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential and ensure that benefits from their use, including vaccines, medicines and diagnostics, are shared equitably,” it said.
GIK/APA