Major infectious diseases and epidemics have devastating impacts on human lives, wreaking havoc on long-term social and economic development. And the Covid-19 pandemic has more than brought home this message.
Global health crises threaten to overwhelm already stretched health systems, disrupt global supply chains and decimate livelihoods of people, and the economies of the poorest and most vulnerable countries. There is an urgent need for resilient and robust health systems reaching the vulnerable. The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness (December 27) spotlights precisely these concerns.