World leaders call for readiness to fight the next pandemic / Article / LSM.lv

The leaders of more than 20 countries, as well as the leaders of the European Union and the World Health Organization, are calling for a global agreement to fight future pandemics. A call published in the world media states that the spread of Covid-19 is a warning about the lack of coordination between countries in solving global problems.

The invitation was signed by the President of France Emmanuel Macron, the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and other leaders. They point out that the Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest challenge facing humanity since World War II.

“Our solidarity must be our legacy to ensure that the world is better prepared. It will protect our children and grandchildren, reduce the impact of future pandemics on our economy and society. ” stated in the message.

At a time when the fight against Covid-19 has not yet been won, humanity must realize that it will not be the only pandemic and that international cooperation needs to be improved.

“It simply came to our notice then. The world cannot afford to wait until the pandemic is over and only then start planning for the next one. We must not allow memories of this crisis to slow down and return to old order, ”said WHO Director-General Tedros Adanom Gebreesus.

“The impact on our societies, economy and health is too great. We must not do things as before and expect a different result. We must act boldly! Without international coordination and pandemic preparedness, we are vulnerable. “

According to the authors of the idea, although there are already various international regulations, most of which are implemented under the auspices of the World Health Organization, the current pandemic has shown that countries can simply ignore them without significant consequences. For example, at the beginning of the pandemic, China simply did not provide the World Health Organization with information on the start of the epidemic, despite international obligations. An international agreement would have more weight in this case. It is true that its content should still be politically agreed by the Member States of the World Health Organization.

“The member states will start negotiations, and we hope that in May they will result in a resolution when the countries meet in the World Health Assembly. Therefore, countries must take into account everything that can strengthen global and national capabilities in this matter, ”says Gebrejesus.

Leaders have also emphasized the need for the world to work together as a global community, not least in the face of the Covid-19 crisis, which has highlighted weaknesses and disagreements. The report also highlights the unequal situation that countries currently face due to a lack of vaccines.

“Covid-19 has been a stark reminder that no one is safe until everyone is safe,” said European Council President Charles Michel.

“And that’s why leaders from all regions of the world have come together to offer collective action at the international level. Immunization provides a global public good, so we need to be able to develop, produce and use vaccines as quickly as possible. And we need to ensure universal and equal access to vaccines, medicines and tests. “

However, even before the start of the negotiations, the fact that the leaders of China, Russia and the United States are not among the leaders of the 25 countries that have signed the call for an international agreement casts a shadow over the project. In addition, no major leader has yet responded to the World Health Organisation’s call for rich countries to donate 10 million vaccines immediately to launch immunization programs in developing countries, where this has not been possible so far.

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