COVID-19 lessons urgently needed for other health threats: institutes

STOCKHOLM, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- There is an "urgent" need to apply the lessons learned from COVID-19 to address other health threats, concluded the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI)' Annual Meeting on Friday.

National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) from around the world met in Stockholm at the meeting, between Wednesday and Friday, to address and find solutions to major challenges to the public health security of the world's population.

"Now is the time for NPHIs to step up their role in the handling of crises that affect the health of our populations with prioritization of health equity," the association said in the meeting's Stockholm Statement published on Friday.

"Humanity now faces multiple emergencies with global reach and global public health effects, including COVID-19, armed conflict and climate change," said the statement.

"All of these crises affect the most basic conditions for human and animal survival, with its effects being especially felt by the most vulnerable countries," it noted.

The meeting urged effective responses to longstanding global public health challenges including endemic infectious diseases, mental health, child and maternal health, nutrition, harmful substance use, the burden of avoidable chronic diseases, disabilities and antimicrobial resistance.