Three years ago this month, the virus that causes COVID-19 was first detected, the UN chief reminded on Tuesday, the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, SIA refers to foreign media.
COVID-19 will not be the last epidemic or pandemic humanity faces, he warned.
“The costs have been catastrophic”, Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement marking the day.
Since the pandemic struck, he pointed out that millions of lives have been lost, as hundreds of millions fallen ill.
And economies have been shattered, health systems stretched, and trillions of dollars lost.
Moreover, progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been “thrown off track”, the top UN official argued.
“Developing countries were often left to fend for themselves, shamefully denied the vaccines, tests or treatments they needed to protect their people”, he lamented.
“As a global community, we must heed the harsh lessons of COVID-19 and make bold investments in pandemic preparedness, prevention and response”, spelled out the UN chief.
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-equipped and well-paid” health workforces.
“We also need equitable access to vaccines, treatments, diagnostics and life-saving technology for all countries”, Mr. Guterres added.
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