NewYork (VNA) – The United Nations (UN) General Assembly on December 7approved Resolution A/RES/75/27 proclaiming December 27 as the InternationalDay of Epidemic Preparedness at its 75th session.

Itis the first resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in this matter andalso the first resolution proposed by Vietnam.

Asthe COVID-19 pandemic is still ravaging the globe, causing devastating impactson human lives and wreaking havoc on long-term social and economic development,Vietnam’s initiative has received wide support from UN member states. Theresolution has been co-written by Vietnam and other countries, includingCanada, Niger, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Spain, with 107others co-sponsoring.

Itcalls on all UN member states, organisations of the UN system and other global,regional and sub-regional organisations, private sector and civil society,including non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, individualsand other relevant stakeholders to observe the International Day of EpidemicPreparedness annually in an appropriate manner and in accordance with nationalcontexts and priorities, through education and awareness-raising activities, inorder to highlight the importance of the prevention of, preparedness for andpartnership against epidemics.

Introducingthe draft resolution, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnamto the UN, said COVID-19 is not the first epidemic that the world has faced inthe past years, and it will not be the last. “In the future, another epidemiccan break out at any moment and surpass previous incidences in terms ofintensity and gravity if preparation is not made,” he said.

“Thepandemic caught us off guard, but it also has served as a wake-up call forimproving our preparedness,” the ambassador noted.

Hewent on to say that observing an International Day on Epidemic Preparednesswill be a prominent way to achieve this goal, as the day will remind allstakeholders of the impacts left by recent past epidemics and the need to havea permanent sense of epidemic prevention in all of their activities.

“Inaddition, it will underline the need to raise the level of preparedness inorder to have the earliest and most adequate response to any epidemic that mayarise,” he continued.

“Lastbut not least, it will stress the importance of partnership among everyindividual, community, state, and also regional and international organizationsin all stages of epidemic management,” Quy added.

TheInternational Day of Epidemic Preparedness will be observed annually onDecember 27, the date of birth of French biologist, microbiologist, and chemistLouis Pasteur who has been renowned worldwide for his discoveries of theprinciples of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization./.