Bangladesh on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening national and global preparedness for future pandemics, emphasising that health security must be built on resilient health systems, international solidarity, equitable access to lifesaving health technologies, and sustained investment in preparedness.

The message was delivered by SM Ziauddin Hyder, special assistant to the prime minister of Bangladesh on health affairs, on behalf of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, at the high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response held during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, according to a press release.

The high-level meeting, convened by the president of the UN General Assembly on 25 September in Conference Room 1, brought together heads of state and government, ministers and other senior representatives to strengthen political commitment to preventing, preparing for and responding to future pandemics and public health emergencies.

Hyder underscored that the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how rapidly a health emergency can evolve into a profound social, economic and development crisis. The experience also exposed significant inequalities between and within countries in access to vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics and other essential health technologies.

Bangladesh stressed that the world must translate the lessons of COVID-19 into sustained action and ensure that preparedness does not diminish as the immediate memory of the pandemic recedes.

The prime minister’s message highlighted the importance of strong and resilient national health systems as the foundation of global health security. Strengthening primary health care, disease surveillance, laboratory capacity, emergency response systems, the health workforce and community-level services must therefore remain at the centre of pandemic preparedness.

Bangladesh also emphasised that equity must be a fundamental principle of the global pandemic preparedness architecture. During a global health emergency, lifesaving vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other health products must be accessible to all countries, irrespective of their income or purchasing power.

The statement further called for stronger international cooperation to expand regional and national capacities for research, development and manufacturing of vaccines, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and essential medical products, particularly in developing countries. Diversifying manufacturing capacity and strengthening resilient supply chains would not only improve pandemic preparedness but also contribute to stronger and more self-reliant health systems.

Bangladesh highlighted the importance of predictable and sustainable financing for pandemic preparedness. Investments in preparedness should not be viewed merely as emergency expenditure, but as long-term investments in human security, economic stability and sustainable development.

The statement also emphasised that pandemic preparedness requires effective coordination across governments, international organisations, development partners, multilateral financial institutions, the private sector, academia and communities.

Reflecting Bangladesh’s national health priorities, Hyder reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening primary health care and preventive services, modernising health systems, improving surveillance and laboratory capacity, strengthening the health workforce, and harnessing digital technologies to build a more responsive, equitable and resilient health system.

Bangladesh further expressed its readiness to work with the United Nations, the World Health Organization, international financial institutions, development partners and fellow member states to advance a global pandemic preparedness architecture founded on equity, solidarity, shared responsibility and collective action.

The high-level meeting was held under the theme “Fostering a multilateral and intergenerational approach to prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics and public health emergencies, through the principles of equity and solidarity.”

Concluding Bangladesh’s message, Hyder emphasised that no country can protect itself from the next pandemic in isolation. A safer future will depend on countries investing in their own health systems while simultaneously strengthening international cooperation so that the world is collectively better prepared for the next public health emergency.