International Day of Epidemic Preparedness2026 · Date · History · Messages · Quotes
A/RES/75/27
About International Day of Epidemic Preparedness
The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness is observed on 27 December to promote prevention, preparedness, partnership and stronger capacity to respond to epidemics.
The observance was created during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the United Nations emphasized the need to learn from epidemic experience, maintain essential services and strengthen resilient health systems.
Why International Day of Epidemic Preparedness matters
Preparedness includes planning before a crisis: surveillance, laboratory and public-health capacity, risk communication, trained workforces, resilient services and cooperation across borders and sectors.
An observance guide can explain these systems, but it should not diagnose symptoms, forecast a specific outbreak or replace current guidance from WHO and competent national health authorities.
History of International Day of Epidemic Preparedness
The UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/75/27 on 7 December 2020 and proclaimed 27 December as the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness.
The first observance was held on 27 December 2020; the United Nations Secretary-General explicitly identified it as the first observance.
The resolution was adopted in the context of COVID-19 and stressed lessons from epidemic management, resilient health systems, education, information-sharing, scientific knowledge and international cooperation.
Resolution A/RES/75/27 explicitly invites the World Health Organization to facilitate the observance in collaboration with other relevant organizations.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/75/27
First documented observance
The United Nations Secretary-General’s message dated 27 December 2020 explicitly identifies that date as the first observance of the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness.
World Health Organization (WHO)
General Assembly resolution A/RES/75/27 explicitly invites WHO to facilitate the observance in collaboration with other relevant organizations.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe International Day of Epidemic Preparedness
Review a household, workplace or community continuity plan using current guidance from competent health and emergency authorities.
Learn how public-health surveillance, laboratories, vaccination, infection prevention and risk communication fit into preparedness systems.
Practice identifying trustworthy outbreak information and distinguishing official guidance from rumours.
For current disease threats, use WHO and national public-health sources rather than evergreen observance content.
International Day of Epidemic Preparedness Facts
The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness is observed on 27 December.
The UN General Assembly established it in 2020 through A/RES/75/27.
The resolution was adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first observance was held on 27 December 2020.
WHO was invited to facilitate the observance in collaboration with other relevant organizations.
WHO is explicitly invited by the establishing UN resolution to facilitate the observance.
International Day of Epidemic Preparedness Messages
May International Day of Epidemic Preparedness encourage people to learn the risks, follow trusted guidance and look out for one another.
Today, may International Day of Epidemic Preparedness strengthen attention to prevention, preparedness and the people working every day to keep communities safer.
On International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, may awareness lead to safer choices, stronger prevention and practical support for people and communities at risk.
International Day of Epidemic Preparedness Quotes
“When communities are protected, we are all protected.”
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Health Information Not Medical Advice.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
un.org — authoritative source (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/75/27 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Secretary-General — first observance of the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, 27 December 2020 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — A/RES/75/27, paragraph 3 invites WHO to facilitate the observance (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day of Epidemic Preparedness?
27 December The documented recurrence rule is: 27 December.
Does International Day of Epidemic Preparedness fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is International Day of Epidemic Preparedness an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United Nations international observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes International Day of Epidemic Preparedness?
The reviewed sources identify United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as World Health Organization (WHO).
Is International Day of Epidemic Preparedness international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: United Nations international observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-05.
When was the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness established?
The UN General Assembly adopted A/RES/75/27 on 7 December 2020 and proclaimed 27 December as the annual observance.
Why is the day on 27 December?
The resolution establishes 27 December, but the reviewed UN material does not provide a sufficiently strong historical explanation for why that exact date was selected.
Does this page provide current outbreak advice?
No. Current outbreak risks and health guidance should come from WHO and the relevant national or local public-health authority.
How this differs from closely related observances
These distinctions use the cited evidence to clarify scope without treating related observances as identical.
Is International Day of Epidemic Preparedness the same as World Health Day?
The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness focuses on prevention, preparedness, resilient systems and cooperation before and during epidemics. World Health Day is WHO’s broader annual global-health observance with changing priority themes.
Open World Health Day →Distinction sources
Other observances on December 27
These observances are also listed on December 27, 2026.
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