International Day of Epidemic Preparedness – December 27, 2024

History of International Day of Epidemic Preparedness

In late 2019, the coronavirus outbreak began in China. Numerous areas of the city were sealed as the infection rate began to rise and the body count increased. However, even though the news of the virus spread across the world, the authorities were unable to contain the disease. Within a few months, cases of COVID-19 emerged across the world and the death toll escalated. The virus, which was initially presumed to be the flu, was announced to be a pandemic that had impacted millions of lives across the world.

Due to the pandemic, the holes in the healthcare systems of several countries were revealed as hospitals ran out of beds and ventilators. In fact, there was a point when hand sanitizers and surgical masks were also out of stock. However, after months of studying the pandemic, several health experts believe that COVID-19 could have been contained if the world was prepared. Keeping this in mind, the first-ever International Day of Epidemic Preparedness was held on December 27, 2020. The day was called for by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate the importance of the prevention of, preparedness for, and partnership against epidemics. This was deemed necessary since COVID-19 highlighted the importance of investing in systems to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. “COVID-19 is a human tragedy. But it has also created a generational opportunity. An opportunity to build back a more equal and sustainable world,” António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations said.