UK Poised To Champion New 5-Point Plan Of Global Preparedness For Pandemics - Johnson

The United Kingdom will use its upcoming G7 presidency to promote a new five-point plan aimed at increasing the global preparedness and resilience against future pandemics, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in his address to the 75th UN General Assembly session on Saturday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th September, 2020) The United Kingdom will use its upcoming G7 presidency to promote a new five-point plan aimed at increasing the global preparedness and resilience against future pandemics, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in his address to the 75th UN General Assembly session on Saturday.

"We in the UK are going to work with our friends, we're going to use our G7 presidency next year to create a new global approach to health security based on a five point plan to protect humanity against another pandemic," Johnson said.

Point one of this plan will be to forge a global network of zoonotic research hubs where scientists will research pathogens and distinguish the dangerous one, developing anti-viral treatment before a new pandemic strikes, Johnson said, adding that the UK was ready to invest to the fullest its scientific expertise and cooperation.

The second objective will be to develop the manufacturing capacity for treatments and vaccines and the third one will be to design a global pandemic early warning system, according to Johnson.

Should these three steps fail in preventing a new pandemic, Johnson said the fourth step must be to have ready protocols for a genuinely global emergency response rather than "193 different campaigns against the same enemy," as it was the case with COVID-19.

"I would urge every country to take a fifth step and lift the export controls wherever possible - and agree not to revive them - and cancel any tariffs on the vital tools of our struggle: gloves, protective equipment, thermometers and other COVID-critical products," Johnson continued, adding that the UK on its part will do so as soon as its "new independent tariff regime comes into effect on 1st January."