According to the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services (n. d. ), since 1900, three pandemics have hit the world, among which the Spanish Flu had killed over 50 million people. With the world becoming more and more densely populated and urbanized, and people travelling more frequently both domestically and internationally, a pandemic in the 21st century can spread more quickly and do more harm to the world economy. So in this fast globalizing era, it’s very important for the UN to play a more significant role in preventing and fighting pandemics.
There are many things that the UN can do, such as coordinating, overseeing, legislature, arbitrating, etc. For example, in the 2003 SARS crisis, if there had been international law guiding the report of health threats, the Chinese authorities’ covering up SARS cases and delaying the release of information (Brown 2009) may not have happened. For another, if there had been an international treaty regulating the handlings of international travelers during an epidemic, the recent dispute between China and Mexico on the Chinese treatments of Mexican travelers during the spread of the Swine Flu (Weaver 2009) could have been avoided.
In addition, I suggest the UN hold forums to promote academic exchange and organize multinational researches to make them more efficient and more cost effective. Though no pandemic has occurred since the 1968 Hong Kong Flu, prevention is as hard and complex as ever. While the fight between mankind and microbe is ever lasting, with more advanced technology, more effort within individual countries and more international cooperation, it is still possible to prevent the coming of a new pandemic.
References
Brown, D. (2009, April 30). System Set Up After SARS Epidemic Was Slow to Alert Global Authorities. The Washing Post. Retrieved from http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/29/AR2009042904911. html The U. S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n. d. ). Pandemics and Pandemic Threats since 1900. Retrieved May 21, 2009, from http://www. pandemicflu. gov/general/historicaloverview. html Weaver, M. (2009, May 8). Quarantine brings love in the time of swine flu at Hong Kong hotel. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www. guardian. co. uk/world/2009/may/08/swine-flu-hotel-hong-kong