Thread by @WHO

LIVE: Health Security Preparedness High Level event at #UNGA with @DrTedros pscp.tv/w/ckReFzI2MTAy…

"The impacts [of #COVID19] go far beyond the disease itself, with disastrous consequences for health systems, and services for immunization, nutrition, family planning and more.

And yet none of this should come as a surprise"-@DrTedros #UNGA

"Over the years we have had many reports, reviews and recommendations all saying the same thing: the world is not prepared for a pandemic.

#COVID19 has laid bare the truth: when the time came, the world was still not ready"-@DrTedros #UNGA

"While the world has invested heavily in preparing for terrorist attacks, relatively little is spent preparing for the attack of a virus – which, as the pandemic has proven, can be far more deadly, disruptive and costly"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #UNGA

"Even as we fight #COVID19, we must learn the hard lessons the pandemic is teaching us.
1⃣ the time to prepare for emergencies is before they occur. We must invest in preparedness capacities that protect every community against current & future health security threats"-@DrTedros

"2⃣ preparedness goes far beyond the health ministry. There must be engagement across sectors, including foreign affairs, finance, parliaments, water and sanitation, labour, trade, and others"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #UNGA

"3⃣ preparedness demands stronger engagement of local government, the private sector, community leaders and civil society, especially in urban settings and among the most vulnerable populations"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #UNGA

#COVID19 won't be the 🌍’s last health emergency & there is an urgent need for sustainable health emergency preparedness to deal with the next one.

Countries join voices for better emergency preparedness at #UNGA: bit.ly/2GwtX9G

“#COVID19 will not be the last pandemic, nor the last global health emergency. But with the right political & financial investments now, we can advance health security, prevent & mitigate future pandemics, & protect our future & the future of generations to come”-@DrTedros #UNGA

Past crises have shown that once an outbreak is under control, govts & donors tend to turn their attention
to other pressing concerns. The cycle of “panic-then-forget” has prevented the development of effective health emergency preparedness across the 🌍 bit.ly/2GwtX9G

"We cannot, cannot, cannot let the world forget because the next one may not be anything but the worst one. The #COVID19 may just be a harbinger of what may come, we are living with too much risk"-@DrMikeRyan bit.ly/2GwtX9G #COVID19