
Harris to tell UN Body it’s Time to Prep for Next Pandemic

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris will make the case before United Nations members on Monday that now is the time for global leaders to begin putting the serious work into how they will respond to the next global pandemic.
The virtual address, Harris’ second to a U.N. body since her inauguration, will come as the United States makes progress on vaccinating the public and much of the world struggles to acquire vaccines.
“At the same time that the world works to get through this pandemic, we also know that we must prepare for the next,” Harris will say, according to excerpts of the speech obtained by The Associated Press. The speech will be co-hosted by U.N. permanent representatives of Argentina, Japan, Norway and South Africa.
The Biden administration will mark its first 100 days in office this week. President Joe Biden is scheduled to address Congress on Wednesday and is certain to highlight the headway his administration has made in responding to the worst public health crisis in the U.S. in more than a century.
Harris, according to the excerpts, will broadly outline how the administration thinks the U.S. and other nations should consider focusing their attention. The steps include improving accessibility to health systems, investing in science, health workers and the well-being of women, and surging capacity for personal protective equipment and vaccine and test manufacturing.
Harris says much has been learned over the last year about pandemic preparedness and response but that it would be unwise to rest easy
“We have been reminded that the status quo is not nearly good enough, and that innovation is indeed the path forward,” Harris says.
Biden’s ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, is also scheduled to deliver remarks at Monday’s virtual event and intends to call on nations to “build the pandemic preparedness architecture for the future.”
“The takeaway from this past year is clear: The world barely withstood this pandemic,” Thomas-Greenfield says in excerpts of her prepared remarks. “We must be ready for the next.”
___
Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
In The News
Health
Voting
Health
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden are teaming up with AppleTV+’s “Ted Lasso” on Monday... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden are teaming up with AppleTV+’s “Ted Lasso” on Monday to highlight “the importance of addressing your mental health to promote overall well being.” The first couple are set to host actor Jason Sudeikis and other... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Pentagon study has found high rates of cancer among military pilots and for the first time has shown... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Pentagon study has found high rates of cancer among military pilots and for the first time has shown that ground crews who fuel, maintain and launch those aircraft are also getting sick. The data had long been sought by retired military aviators who have... Read More
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — No elected Republican has done more to restrict abortion rights in the U.S. than Donald Trump. But... Read More
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — No elected Republican has done more to restrict abortion rights in the U.S. than Donald Trump. But in the early days of the 2024 presidential contest, no Republican has worked harder to avoid the issue than the former president. Far more than his... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday ignored shouted questions from reporters about whether he’ll sign legislation that unanimously passed... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday ignored shouted questions from reporters about whether he’ll sign legislation that unanimously passed Congress last week calling for declassification of information on the origins of COVID-19. On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was still making... Read More
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Doctors in California who mail abortion pills to people in other states would be protected from... Read More
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Doctors in California who mail abortion pills to people in other states would be protected from prosecution under a new bill to be unveiled Friday in the state Legislature. The bill would not let California extradite doctors who are facing charges in... Read More
NEW YORK (AP) — Deaths of pregnant women in the U.S. fell in 2022, dropping significantly from a six-decade high... Read More
NEW YORK (AP) — Deaths of pregnant women in the U.S. fell in 2022, dropping significantly from a six-decade high during the pandemic, new data suggests. More than 1,200 U.S. women died in 2021 during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth, according to a final tally released... Read More