[Source: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Twitter]

Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama says this is the time to prepare ourselves for future pandemics.

This comes as the world grapples with the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at the Small Island Developing States Summit for Health, Bainimarama highlighted that everyone needs to be prepared for more infectious disease outbreaks in the future while managing the effects of climate change.

The Prime Minister says global institutions have no clear and reasonable rules established on how the economies can re-open to the world.

“Rather it is done on a bilateral basis or even unilateral as smaller nations are often hostage to the development agendas of larger countries. Through a multilateral approach, we can grant certainty that SIDs economies will recover more quickly and kick-start a self-sustaining recovery that continues our march for better health of our citizens.”

Bainimarama says SIDS face the same challenges as large and wealthy nations.

“Vaccine inequity and vaccine hoarding will remain a challenge and a threat to Small Island Developing States because we don’t know where the next global health catastrophe will come from or how serious it will be. We just know that it will come.”

Bainimarama adds the COVID pandemic has taught us the importance of fully engaging with other nations and international organizations to be able to respond to the next emergency.

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