Overview:
The world celebrates the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness on 27 December of every year by carrying out educational activities. This celebration aims to highlight the importance of preventing the spread of epidemics and preparing for them in a participatory manner to come up with faster, more successful solutions.
Facts:
Communities are in dire need for more awareness, exchange of scientific knowledge and information, adoption of top-level practices, and proper education on epidemics on the local, national and regional, and global levels. These factors can serve as effective measures to protect against epidemics and properly respond to their emergence.
It is also essential to reinforce protection against epidemics by applying the lessons learned on epidemic management, ensuring the continuation of basic services, and increasing the level of preparedness to quickly and properly respond to epidemics. It is necessary to acknowledge the value of the integrated “One Health” concept which reinforces human, animal, and plant health integration, as well as the integration of environmental sector and other relevant sectors. This concept has grown to be of importance due to the fact that several factors have changed the dynamics of the relationship between humans, animals, and the environment.
Objectives:
- Increasing the level of awareness on the need for general effective health measures to combat epidemics.
- Highlighting the importance of a global organized, coordinated response to protect communities from the spread of infectious diseases, including cause of new viruses like the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Shedding light on how crucial it is to take preparedness and response measures. These include storing and distributing a sufficient supply of basic medications, vaccines, foods, and water against the potential threats of infectious diseases.
Official Date:
Globally: 27/12/2021
Locally: 23/5/1443H
International Day of Epidemic Preparedness slogan:
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