US announces 2nd global COVID-19 summit on May 12

Washington: The White House has announced that the United States will co-host the second global COVID-19 summit virtually on May 12 to continue the international effort in the fight against pandemic and to advance global preparedness.

"The summit will redouble our collective efforts to end the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for future health threats," said the White House in its press release on Monday. The US will host the summit with Belize, chair of the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM, Germany, the current president of the Group of Seven leading economies, or G-7; Indonesia, which currently holds the presidency of the Group of 20 largest economies, or G-20; and Senegal as African Union chair.

Notably, the first Global COVID-19 Summit was convened by the United States on September 22, 2021.

White House said that the emergence and spread of new variants, like Omicron, have reinforced the need for a strategy aimed at controlling COVID-19 worldwide.

"To help achieve these goals, we urge all countries and stakeholders to pledge to take urgent actions to create the systems we need to end the acute phase of COVID-19, save lives, and build better health security and health systems," the statement read.

The Summit will build on the themes and commitments made at the first Summit and will place an emphasis on supporting locally-led solutions to both immediate and long-term challenges. It will emphasise solutions like deploying tests and treatments, expanding and protecting the health workforce, and generating sustainable financing for pandemic preparedness among others.