A group of over 100 current and former global leaders have called on governments around the world to reach an ‘ambitious and equitable international deal to prepare for and prevent future pandemics’.
The WHO has been attempting to pull together a ‘Pandemic Accord’ to bolster the world’s collective preparedness and response to future pandemics and the urgency of this work has been supported by a joint letter from the global leaders.
“A pandemic accord is critical to safeguard our collective future. Only a strong global pact on pandemics can protect future generations from a repeat of the COVID-19 crisis, which led to millions of deaths and caused widespread social and economic devastation, owing not least to insufficient international collaboration,” the leaders write in the joint letter.
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis nations set themselves the deadline of May 2024 by which they should reach agreement on what would be the world’s first ever Pandemic Accord.
The Ninth round of Pandemic Accord negotiations are underway and signatories of the open letter hope that their combined influence will encourage all 194 nations to maintain the courage of their COVID -years conviction and make their own collective ambition of an international pandemic protocol a reality by the intended May deadline to enable ratification by the World Health Assembly at its May 2024 Annual General Assembly.
A new pandemic threat will emerge; there is no excuse not to be ready for it. It is thus imperative to build an effective, multisectoral, and multilateral approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Given the unpredictable nature of public-health risks, a global strategy must embody a spirit of openness and inclusiveness. There is no time to waste, which is why we are calling on all national leaders to redouble their efforts to complete the accord by the May deadline.
Pandemic Accord Joint Letter
