The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded its highest alarm on 30 January 2020 — a declaration called a ‘public health emergency of international concern’, or PHEIC, signalling that a pandemic might be imminent. Few countries heeded the WHO’s call for testing, tracing and social distancing to curb the coronavirus. By mid-March, it had spread around the world. Now, health officials and researchers are evaluating why the organization’s warning system failed and how to overhaul it.
COVID19 rampaged across the world building momentum and worldwide panic. On November 26, in response to concerns about the latest Omicron variant of concern, the Canadian government announced that the they implemented enhanced border measures for all travellers who have been in the Southern Africa region. While reactive measures are necessary Canada’s government is calling for participation in a an emergency worldwide treaty. A preparedness plan that would reach globally for the next situation like COVID19.
Several countries around the world have implemented travel restrictions in efforts to prevent the omicron coronavirus variant from taking hold. The international community should work together “towards a new international treaty for pandemic preparedness and response” to build a more robust global health architecture that will protect future generations, world leaders said in a commentary published in March by several newspapers around the world.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos is sounding the alarm that Canada supports the development of a new global convention on pandemic preparedness and response that will be debated at a special meeting of the World Health Assembly today. It is only the second time in its history that the group has held an emergency summit of this kind.
These border measures are being implemented while the Canadian and global medical, public health and research communities actively evaluate this variant – as has been done with previous variants — to better understand the potential implications in terms of transmission, clinical presentation and vaccine efficacy.
The Government of Canada will continue to assess the evolving situation and I will provide updates as we have them according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Duclos, who would serve as the federal government’s chief delegate, says the convention would help countries to collaborate and would allow Canada to more easily share its expertise on the world stage.
Duclos, who would serve as the federal government’s chief delegate, says the convention would help countries to collaborate and would allow Canada to more easily share its expertise on the world stage.
The WHO working group on the file says that governments should look to develop the convention in tandem with efforts to strengthen existing International Health Regulations according to The Canadian Press.
