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Following the first-ever head-of-state summit on pandemic preparedness at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly today, leaders approved a political declaration that spells out steps to better prepare the world for the next pandemic. The negotiations were led by Ambassadors Gilad Erdan of Israel and Omar Hilale of Morocco and approved by Dennis Francis, a diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago, who is serving as president of the UN General Assembly. (Schnirring, 9/20)

World leaders gave preliminary approval at a U.N. meeting Wednesday to a political declaration on pandemic preparedness, prevention and response, which calls for increased international cooperation. But opposition from Russia and its allies threatens adoption by the General Assembly. The bloc wants language in the declaration opposing sanctions not endorsed by the U.N., such as those NATO allies imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. (Peng, 9/20)

Continuing their mission to ensure that key lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic are not forgotten, several of the state’s leading health experts and state officials testified at the State House on Wednesday in support of legislation that would tackle the racial and ethnic health disparities the pandemic illuminated. The bill, filed in January, would create a Cabinet-level Executive Office of Equity, expand full MassHealth coverage for all those eligible, regardless of immigration status, and lower the cost of medications for chronic conditions such as diabetes that disproportionately affect communities of color, among other provisions. (Mohammed, 9/20)