In his commemorative message, Guterres recalled the impact of Covid-19 as “a wake-up call for the world.”

“Millions of lives lost, economies shattered, health systems on the brink of the abyss and daily life disrupted for all humanity,” he said in this regard.

In his view, although the crisis is already gone, humanity has been marked by a hard lesson: the world is not prepared for the next pandemic.

“The outbreaks of mox, cholera, polio and Marburg are beginning to remind us that infectious diseases remain a real and present danger for all countries,” he warned in this regard.

Guterres called on countries to heed the lessons of past health emergencies, so that they help them prepare for the next one.

This, he added, implies building resilient public and primary health care systems and fulfilling the promise of Universal Health Coverage.

He also called for bold investments in tracking, detecting and responding to pandemics, along with equitable access to life-saving tools such as vaccines, treatments and diagnostics.

Above all, he said, it means global solidarity.

“I call on countries to honor the historic Pandemic Agreement to ensure that the world works better, together, to prevent and contain future pandemics,” he added.

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