“The costs were catastrophic” Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement of the day.
Since the pandemic broke out, he pointed out that millions of people have died as hundreds of millions have fallen ill.
And economies have been shaken, healthcare systems overwhelmed, and trillions of dollars lost.
In addition, progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) had been “thrown off track,” argued the top UN official.
“Developing countries have often been left to their own devices, shamefully deprived of the vaccines, tests or treatments they needed to protect their populations,” he lamented.
Heed the “Hard Lessons”
COVID-19 will not be the last epidemic or pandemic humanity will face, he warned.
“As a global community, we must heed the harsh lessons of COVID-19 and boldly invest in pandemic preparedness, prevention and response,” the UN chief said.
He underscored the need for better surveillance “to detect and monitor viruses with epidemic potential”; resilient health systems supported by universal health coverage; and a “well-trained, well-resourced and well-paid” health workforce.
“We also need equal access to vaccines, treatments, diagnostics and life-saving technologies for all countries,” Mr. Guterres added.
A global fight
He stressed the need to “fight the scourge” of misinformation and pseudoscience with “scientific and fact-based information,” recalling that a pandemic cannot be fought country by country.
“The world needs to come together. COVID-19 was a wake-up call,” said the Secretary-General.
“On this International Epidemic Preparedness Day, I urge all countries to join our efforts to ensure the world is equipped and ready for the health challenges ahead.”
Integrated approach
The UN also recalled the value of a One Health approachwhich promotes the integration of human, animal and plant health, environmental and other relevant sectors.
International cooperation and multilateralism play an important role in epidemic response.
Partnership and solidarity between each individual, community, state and region at all stages of epidemic management matters.
The role of the UN
The UN system, especially that World Health Organizationplays a central role in coordinating and supporting national, regional and international efforts to combat epidemics and to prevent, mitigate and control the impact of infectious diseases and epidemics – with the aim of Agenda 2030.
However, the primary role and responsibility lies with governments and relevant stakeholders in addressing global health challenges, particularly women who make up the majority of the health workforce worldwide.
UN member states have committed to ensure inclusive, equitable and non-discriminatory participation, with particular attention to those who are vulnerable or in vulnerable situations with the highest risk of epidemic contagion.
WHO: A global response to a global pandemic
