VICE President Kamala Harris will warn United Nations members on Monday that the world must start preparing for the next global pandemic.
She is expected to say that “serious work” is needed before another global crisis similar to the coronavirus pandemic strikes.
Harris will deliver the remarks as part of a virtual address in which she will speak on US vaccination distribution.
The US has made progress in vaccine distribution while other countries struggle to acquire doses.
“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.
She is also expected to outline how the Biden administration believes the US and other nations should focus their attention.
It includes improving access to health systems, investing in science, health workers, and the well-being of women.
The plan will also focus on the surging capacity for personal protective equipment and vaccine and test manufacturing.
The VP 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.
This is the second time Harris will address a UN body since her inauguration in January.
The speech will be co-hosted by UN permanent representatives of Argentina, Japan, Norway, and South Africa.
Biden’s ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, is also scheduled to deliver remarks at Monday’s virtual event.
The Biden administration will mark its first 100 days in office this week.
President Joe Biden is scheduled to address Congress on Wednesday.
It is certain he will 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’s speech will come as she is criticized for failing to visit the US-Mexico border in over 30 days amid the current migrant crisis.
