Vietnam highly cognizant of early epidemic preparedness: Ambassador

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, permanent representative of Vietnam to the UN made the statement during the launching ceremony of the World Disasters Report 2022, which opened with the theme of “Trust, equality and local action – Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to avert the next global crisis” on April 19 in New York.

The report was jointly introduced by the Vietnamese and Australian Permanent Missions to the UN, along with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The Vietnamese diplomat stated that at UN forums, the country has pushed for the UN General Assembly to choose December 27 every year as the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, thereby enhancing the international community's readiness to respond both swiftly and fully to possible future epidemics.

Together with Australia and other nations, Vietnam has persuaded the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution on holding a high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, whilst it will continue to actively participate in the preparation process for the meeting.

Ambassador Giang stated that the IFRC's recommendations are worth considering, particularly as they can contribute to strengthening the global health structure to better respond to future health risks.

People must be put at the centre of policies on epidemic preparedness and response and play an important role in terms of implementing these policies, he said, adding that dealing with the negative impacts of fake news and providing timely and accurate information to the public about epidemics and government efforts are also important.

The Vietnamese representative said that the international community should therefore focus on dealing with inequality in accessing vaccines, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

The nation appreciates the support given by the UN and international partners during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the need to provide developing countries with easier access to advanced medical technology through technology transfer.

Vietnam believes that enhancing national health capacity at a grassroots level will play a core role in responding to future epidemics, which can be achieved through increased investment in infrastructure, equipment, and personnel training. Policies to ensure socio-economic development, social security, and people's lives also effectively support epidemic prevention and control efforts, he added.
 
The World Disasters Report 2022 underscores that the world’s preparedness ahead of the COVID-19 was inadequate; underlining the need to build people's confidence in the ability to respond to disasters; address inequalities found in access to medicines and health care among countries, as well as different regions within a country; and strengthening the capacity and role of local communities in handling health challenges.

It noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has been the biggest disaster in living memory, by almost any measure. Over 6.5 million people are confirmed to have died in less than three years, about 1 in 1,000 people by the most conservative estimates, an order of magnitude larger than that of any recorded earthquake, drought, or hurricane.

Participants at the event hailed the efforts of Vietnam, Australia, and the IFRC, stating that recommendations in the report are helpful for UN member states in engaging in and promoting major process this year, especially the mid-term review of the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response.