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UN approves Vietnam suggestion to adopt International Day of Epidemic Preparedness
UN approves Vietnam suggestion to adopt International Day of Epidemic Preparedness
The United Nations General Assembly has approved a resolution drafted by Vietnam to declare December 27 as the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness.
On Monday, almost a year after the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, the 193-member assembly recognized "the need to strengthen epidemic prevention by applying lessons learned on epidemic management and how to prevent the stoppage of basic services, and to raise the level of preparedness in order to have the earliest and most adequate response to any epidemic that may arise."
The resolution was adopted unanimously. Canada, Niger, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Spain co-authored it and 107 countries co-sponsored it.
Vietnam chose the birthday of Louis Pasteur, the French biologist, microbiologist and chemist and one of the most important founders of medical microbiology.
"The pandemic caught us off guard, but it also has served as a wake-up call for improving our preparedness," Vietnam's ambassador to the U.N., Dang Dinh Quy, said as he introduced the resolution.
"We believe that observing an International Day on Epidemic Preparedness will be a prominent way to achieve this goal."
The resolution also invites all member states, U.N. organizations, other global and regional organizations, civil society, academic institutions, individuals, and other stakeholders to observe the day annually through education and awareness-raising activities.
The assembly said without international attention future epidemics could surpass previous outbreaks in terms of intensity and gravity, and emphasized the need to raise awareness, exchange information, scientific knowledge and best practices, ensure quality education, and run advocacy programs on epidemics.
"Given that the General Assembly has previously declared international days devoted to chess, yoga and toilets it only seems fair that epidemics should have their day too," Reuters quoted International Crisis Group U.N. director Richard Gowan as saying.
"A lot of smaller and poorer states worry that they won't have any part in real decisions about the coronavirus vaccine or recovery."
The world is still struggling with the new coronavirus, which emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year and quickly spread globally.
More than 1.55 million have died of the respiratory disease caused by the virus out of 67.93 million infected. The U.S., India and Brazil have the largest number of cases in the world./.
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All comments [ 15 ]
Vietnam's achievements in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic have drawn a huge support and sponsorship from the international community in approving the resolution “International Day of Epidemic Preparedness” (Document A/75/L.18) introduced by the country at the UN General Assembly.
This is the first of the UN General Assembly in this regard, and the first proposed, negotiated and promoted by Vietnam.
The resolution aims to raise awareness of each individual, community, state, and the international community on the need to have a permanent sense of epidemic prevention in all of their activities.
The Day will increase the level of preparedness in order to have the earliest and most adequate response to any epidemic that may arise.
It will stresses the importance of international cooperation and multilateral partnership among every individual, community, state, and also regional and international organisations in all stages of epidemic management.
All countries have found the horrible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessity to have preparedness to combat the health crisis as well as other diseases in the future.
The pandemic caught us off guard, but it also has served as a wake-up call for improving our preparedness.
In the future, another epidemic can break out at any moment and surpass previous incidences in terms of intensity and gravity if preparation is not made.
As the COVID-19 pandemic is still ravaging the globe, causing devastating impacts on human lives and wreaking havoc on long-term social and economic development, Vietnam’s initiative has received wide support from UN member states.
COVID-19 is not the first epidemic that the world has faced in the past years, and it will not be the last.
The pandemic caught us off guard, but it also has served as a wake-up call for improving our preparedness.
We have witnessed other epidemics, such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, MERS, SARS, and H1N1, among others. In the future, another epidemic can break out at any moment and surpass previous incidences in terms of intensity and gravity if preparation is not made.
We believe that observing an International Day on Epidemic Preparedness will be a prominent way to achieve this goal.
Throughout the negotiation process of this resolution, we have sought to listen to the priorities of our fellow Member States and to reflect these in the text.
We are very pleased that the text successfully passed the silence procedure and now is ready for your consideration.
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