(VOVWORLD) -UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and President of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis on Wednesday sent official messages on the occasion of the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness (December 27).
 UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
In a message posted on the United Nations website (UN.org), Secretary General Antonio Guterres affirmed that COVID-19 is no longer the international public health emergency, but it is still circulating, and its devastating effects are still with us.
Working together, the world must improve surveillance of viruses, strengthen health systems, and make the promise of Universal Health Coverage a reality, Guterres said, adding that we must ensure everyone has access to diagnostics, treatments and vaccines.
He urged countries to build on this momentum by delivering a strong, comprehensive accord, focused on equity, by next year’s World Health Assembly to build a fairer, healthier world for all.
In a message posted on social networking platform X, President of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis called for strengthening global solidarity and trust to protect the health rights of everyone, for peace, prosperity, and sustainable development. He called on countries to continue their efforts in negotiating amendments to the International Health Regulations.
In 2020, the UN General Assembly approved Vietnam’s initiative with a resolution proclaiming December 27 as the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness. Vietnam is one of the countries pushing the General Assembly to organize a high-level meeting on disease prevention and response readiness in September 2023, where Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh gave an important speech.