G7 AIMS TO BOOST HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS VS FUTURE PANDEMICS

The Group of Major Industrialized Nations (G7) aims to join forces to end the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen health care systems worldwide to counter future outbreaks, according to a draft declaration leaders are expected to make, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

The G7 summit of heads of state and government is scheduled to be in Cornwall, England, from Friday through Sunday. The group consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, the US, and the EU's high representative.

The group is set to pledge to "strengthen our collective defenses to better prevent, detect, and respond to, and recover from, future pandemics through effective multilateral action and a strengthened global health system," according to the draft Carbis Bay Health Declaration seen by dpa on Thursday.

"We pledge to lead the way in building a resilient, integrated and inclusive global health system prepared and equipped to prevent the causes and escalation of disease, and to detect emerging health threats quickly," the statement reads, adding that a "reformed" World Health Organization (WHO) is to be at the center of these plans.

“We will invest in our own human, animal and environmental health systems and in domestic preparedness to foster resilient populations. We will support vulnerable countries to do the same and encourage others to join us," the declaration reads.

The leaders are also expected to pledge to champion an integrated and systems-based One Health approach across all aspects of pandemic prevention, preparedness, detection, and response and work to foster a healthier planet.

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