Reflecting on the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has imprinted on the world, it’s clear that we have learned how to prevent and prepare for these challenges in the future. As of March 2024, the World Health Organization has called for an urgent agreement on their recently proposed international pandemic treaty. According to the World Health Organization, global leaders from all continents who have experience in politics, medicine, and economics were present.
The goal of this new global treaty is to implement a strategy to redefine how we face future pandemics, presenting a unique opportunity for global collaboration. If this treaty is passed, the World Health Organization will achieve the world’s first multi-lateral agreement for pandemic preparedness and prevention. The leaders of this article stated that, “no single government or multilateral agency can address this threat alone“.
In 2020, there were countless disagreements among countries over COVID-19 response measures. One example was the whether or not a country could close borders and restrict traveling. Some countries wanted complete travel bans and strict quarantine protocols for health, while others were more focused on the economic standpoint and disagreed with their counterpart’s views.
In particular, the United States and China escalated tensions when accusations were held against each other for the outbreak. Misinformation spread, and this only made combating the virus more difficult. Additionally, the European Union had issues with response efforts. Member states immediately went into lockdown, testing, and vaccine distribution plans. However, the debates between financial and medical continued.
Furthermore, there were tensions over vaccine distribution due to some countries having greater resources than others. Global equity was a concern, and it almost seemed like “every man for themselves.” Fortunately, the best thing that we can do now, in the present, is to learn from the past, and improve international cooperation.
Unlike the disagreements in the COVID-19 pandemic, the integration of the newly proposed pandemic treaty would institute agreement between countries, allowing the mistakes from 2020 to be prevented in case of a future outbreak.
Ultimately, the possibility of thee World Health Organization securing the ‘Pandemic Treaty‘ would allow for coordination and cooperation among nations, and in case of a future pandemic, would result in stronger global healthcare law.
Learn more at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/a-treaty-to-prepare-the-world-for-the-next-pandemic-hangs-in-the-balance/ar-BB1k6rxY | https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-countdown-to-a-pandemic-treaty/article68003170.ece
Sources: Global leaders unite in urgent call for international pandemic treaty | Call for urgent agreement on international deal to prepare for and prevent future pandemics
Simple and clear thinking. Well articulated. I vote in favour 🙂