Universal and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, medicines, and tests needs to be ensured, European Council President Charles Michel said, AzVision.az reports citing the European Council.

Michel made the statement during a joint press conference with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Today we are calling for an international Treaty on Pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic is indeed much more than “just a health” issue,” he said.

He noted that Treaty on Pandemics would be rooted in the constitution of the World Health Organisation.

“It will support the principle of “health for all”. And through this treaty, our main goal is to foster a comprehensive approach to better predict, prevent, and respond to pandemics; to strengthen global capacities and resilience; to ensure fair access to medical solutions; and to bolster international alert systems, data-sharing, and cutting-edge medical research,” he said.

He affirmed the importance of a “One Health” approach that connects the health of humans, animals and our planet.

“And for this global approach to work, we need more transparency, more accountability, and more shared responsibility in the international system. Immunisation is a global public good. So we need to be able to develop, manufacture and deploy vaccines as quickly as possible. We also need to ensure universal and equitable access to vaccines, medicines, and tests,” he said.

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