Members from around the world have called for a worldwide pandemic treaty.
More than 20 world leaders, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have called for a new global agreement to help the world brace for any pandemics.
Covid has faced the greatest threat since World War II, according to world leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who publish in newspapers all over the world.
They say that another pandemic or health epidemic is a matter of “not if, but when.”
Furthermore, the pandemic has shown that “no one is safe until everybody is safe.”
The 24 leaders claim in the Daily Telegraph and other publications such as Le Monde in France and El Pais in Spain that a treaty close to the one concluded after WWII is required to establish cross-border cooperation.
“The goals were clear: to pull nations together, to dispel the temptations of isolationism and colonialism, and to resolve problems that could only be met by working together in a spirit of unity and cooperation, such as stability, development, health, and security.”
“At the time, after the destruction of two world wars, global leaders came together to forge the multilateral structure,” the signatories, who include the president of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Countries must now “be adequately equipped to anticipate, deter, track, evaluate, and efficiently respond to pandemics in a strongly organized manner,” according to the leaders.
This new treaty will aid in the development of improved systems for warning citizens what danger these pandemics hold, as well as the exchange of data and the delivery of vaccines and personal protective equipment.
“Other pandemics and major health crises will occur.” This threat cannot be resolved by a single government or multilateral body. The concern isn’t when that will happen, but when.
“At a time when Covid-19 has abused our shortcomings and tensions,” the letter continues, “We must take this moment as a global community to work together for peaceful co-operation that stretches beyond this crisis.”
Dr. David Nabarro, a WHO special advisor on Covid-19, told BBC Radio 4’s Today that unless “any sort of special intervention is taken,” the whole planet would not be vaccinated until far into 2022.
The UK and the WHO cautioned against blockades, while the EU blamed pharmaceutical firms, especially AstraZeneca, for failing to produce promised doses. However, AstraZeneca has denied these claims against if effectiveness.
Mr Johnson, on Monday, announced that tens of millions of Novavax vaccine doses will now be manufactured and packaged in north-east England.
