Hadja Lahbib, the EU’s Crisis Preparedness Commissioner, warned that the European Union “cannot afford complacency” as it marks the fifth anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a pandemic.
Speaking to Euronews, Lahbib reflected on how the pandemic initially caught the world off guard, with EU nations struggling to secure vital resources. However, she highlighted that the EU is now better prepared to face future health crises due to the establishment of the European Health Union, which strengthens pandemic readiness, and the creation of the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) to ensure access to essential medicines and equipment during emergencies.
Despite significant progress, Lahbib stressed that gaps remain, such as the need for vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics for high-risk pathogens like avian flu and diseases linked to climate change, such as Dengue. She also mentioned the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance, which causes 35,000 deaths annually in the EU.
The EU’s Joint Procurement Agreement (JPA) played a vital role during COVID-19, ensuring equitable access to vaccines. Lahbib noted that the JPA has since been extended to other medical countermeasures, fostering global solidarity.
The EU is set to introduce new strategies this year to enhance preparedness, including the Preparedness Union Strategy and Medical Countermeasures Strategy.
via Euronews