World leaders commit to greater collaboration over future pandemics

World leaders committed to making the world better prepared for a future pandemic on 20 September when the president of the 78th UN General Assembly signed off a formal declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.1

The meeting in New York, attended by representatives of more than 100 UN countries, was held to demonstrate global commitment to greater collaboration, governance, and investment to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics.

The agreement lays out a series of goals and measures that UN members believe are necessary to make the world better prepared for a pandemic. This was the first time in history that heads of state formally convened to discuss how to prepare for future global health threats.

The occasion was a “historic milestone” in the world’s efforts to prevent a …