America News Agency

European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib stated that spending and activities related to pandemic preparedness should be monitored more effectively and that funding gaps should be closed.

Lahbib said that the cost of inaction is far higher than the cost of preparedness, noting that the EU is working with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the field of pandemic preparedness and response.

Lahbib also noted that the EU continues to invest in the development of medical countermeasures and that speed is important in this field.