27 December 2027
The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness recognises the importance of being prepared for, and responding to, public health emergencies. The day encourages countries to take action to prevent, detect, and respond to epidemics and to strengthen their capacity to do so.
On December 27, 2020, the world celebrated the first-ever International Day of Epidemic Preparedness to combat epidemics. Since then, the day has grown in importance, recognising the need for global preparedness for public health emergencies. These emergencies can range from influenza pandemics to the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of preparedness for epidemics has become even more pressing. The virus has highlighted the need for strong global cooperation in order to effectively respond to such emergencies. Effective preparedness requires the sharing of information, resources, and expertise between countries and local communities.
To prepare for epidemics, countries must strengthen their public health systems and capacities. This includes the strengthening of surveillance systems, laboratories, and the health workforce. It also involves the development of strategies for early detection, rapid response, and containment of outbreaks. In addition, countries must ensure they have the necessary resources and capacities to respond to epidemics.
VACCELERATE is a one-of-a-kind project that provided expertise, services, resources, and solutions to accelerate existing and upcoming development programmes as well as market authorizations for new vaccines and vaccination regimens. VACCELERATE, is pan-European platform for large-scale clinical vaccine trials. The network acts as a single point of contact for all stakeholders involved in COVID-19 vaccine development. Countries must build strong partnerships like this between the public and private sectors, as well as with civil society.
EVI is also part of ISIDORe, which provides an integrated portfolio of cutting-edge research services and resources to the scientific community to study epidemic-prone pathogens to accelerate the generation of new knowledge and intervention tools to enhance Europe’s capacity for controlling (re)emerging and epidemic infectious diseases, starting with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Such initiatives are an example that international cooperation is essential for preventing and responding to public health emergencies. These partnerships are necessary to ensure effective preparedness and response to epidemics, namely through the development of safe, effective and affordable vaccines.
The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness is a day to recognise the need for strong public health systems, the sharing of information and resources, and the need for global partnerships. Ultimately, it is a day to celebrate the progress made in preparing for and responding to epidemics, and to commit to continuing to strengthen our global efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to future epidemics.
VACCELERATE has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101037867.
ISIDORe has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 101046133.