HANLEY CALLS FOR STRONGER GLOBAL PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS AT UN HIGH-LEVEL MEETING

NEW YORK, USA, September 25, 2026 (SKNIS): What will it take to ensure that no country faces the next pandemic alone? That question shaped Saint Kitts and Nevis’ call for stronger health systems, fairer access to essential supplies and sustained international cooperation at a major United Nations meeting today, Friday, September 25, 2026.

Acting Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, represented Saint Kitts and Nevis as Co-Chair of the High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, one of five key high-level meetings during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Drawing on the experience of COVID-19, Dr. Hanley said, “No country, regardless of its size or level of development, can protect itself from a pandemic alone.”

He called on Member States to strengthen their ability to detect and respond to health threats early, secure sustainable financing, and ensure that vaccines, diagnostics, treatments and expertise reach countries when they are needed.

“Our objective must be clear: to move from a cycle of crisis response to a culture of sustained prevention and preparedness,” Dr. Hanley said.

He urged countries to invest before the next crisis and close the gaps that COVID-19 exposed.

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