GENEVA, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Countries risk missing a May deadline for agreeing a legally binding treaty on fighting pandemics, which would be a big blow for future generations, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.
Still, the annual UN summits have often been described as talk shops that do little to fundamentally improve the planet’s chances of surviving warming temperatures, or to ensure climate justice.
The document lays out ambitious new targets for the next five years that include reaching 90 per cent of people with TB prevention and care services, providing social benefit packages to those who have the disease, and licensing at least one new vaccine.
Following the first-ever head-of-state summit on pandemic preparedness at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly (yesterday), leaders approved a political declaration that spells out steps to better prepare the world for the next pandemic.