UN member states urged to elevate pandemic management to highest political leadership

UNITED NATIONS - The UN General Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution to urge member states to elevate pandemic prevention, preparedness and response to the highest level of political leadership.

The resolution encouraged member states to participate in and support ongoing discussions to draft and negotiate a World Health Organization convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, with a view to adoption.

It calls on member states to prioritize pandemic prevention, preparedness and response in their national agendas, to ensure a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, to achieve universal health coverage, to build resilient health systems, to support and protect the health workforce, and to institute social and economic support that can sustain the widespread uptake of public health measures.

The resolution invites member states to work with the medical and scientific community and with laboratory and surveillance networks to promote the early, safe, transparent and rapid sharing of samples and genetic sequence data of pathogens of pandemic and epidemic.

It calls on member states to promote the transfer of technology and know-how, to strengthen local and regional capacities for the manufacturing, regulation and procurement of needed tools for equitable and effective access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and essential supplies, as well as for clinical trials, and to increase global supply through facilitating the transfer of technology within the framework of relevant multilateral agreements.