Vietnam stays active in epidemic preparedness and response
VOV.VN - Vietnam has worked hand in hand with other countries to roll out measures to improve the effectiveness of the global health system, intensify exchange and share lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
On June 16, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN alongside the Ambassadors of South Africa, Sweden and New Zealand co-chaired a consultation session on the draft resolution of the UN General Assembly on epidemic preparedness and response.
According to participants, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed limitations of the global health system in disease prevention and response, leaving heavy socio-economic impacts, retarding or reversing the results achieved in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and affecting people's health, especially vulnerable groups.
As the country hosting the formulation of the UN General Assembly Resolution 75/27 dated December 7, 2020 on International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, Vietnam has actively worked with other countries to discuss a sore of measures aimed at improving the efficiency of the global health system, enhance exchange and share lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and good practices in disease prevention, thereby contributing to raising public awareness and actions for disease preparedness and response in the future.
Speaking at the meeting, many countries expressed their support and appreciation for the initiative of the core group, and shared views on the need to raise public awareness and actions to stay ready to prevent and respond to global epidemics. They also affirmed their readiness to continue to actively engage in and contribute to this process.
The core group involving in the UN General Assembly's high-level debate on epidemic preparedness and response includes Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Costa Rica, Ghana, Jamaica, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Africa, Sweden and Vietnam.
The group was formed based on the recommendations of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR), established by the Director-General of WHO to review lessons learned from the response to COVID- 19 so as to better prepare for possible future pandemics.