27th December marks the second International Day of Epidemic Preparedness. It was on this day in 2020 that the United Nations General Assembly advocated the importance of the prevention of, preparation for and partnership against epidemics, calling on member states to observe the day through education and increasing awareness on epidemics at the local, national, regional and global levels as effective measures to prevent and respond to epidemics. To commemorate the day this year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the coronavirus pandemic shows how infectious diseases can sweep across the world, push health systems to the brink and devastate lives and families. He said the havoc caused by Covid-19 reflects that the world learnt no lessons from outbreaks like Ebola, Zika, SARS and others. Cautioning that the coronavirus pandemic will not be the last one that humanity will face, the UN chief called for immediate, coordinated action by the world to prepare for future health emergencies. Today on the show we will talk about the significance of the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness… particularly at a time when uncertainty has once again grown worldwide over rising cases of Omicron… what the world needs to do to come out of the shackles of the Covid pandemic and also prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.