International Day of Epidemic Preparedness 2023: History A resolution passed by the UN General Assembly on December 7, 2020, declared December 27 to be the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness. The coronavirus outbreak in China started in late 2019. As the infection rate started to rise and the count of infected people grew, many parts of the city were sealed off. The authorities, however, were unable to control the disease even though the word of the virus spread throughout the world. List of worst Epidemics in India since the 1900s As hospitals ran out of beds and ventilators as a result of the pandemic, the flaws in the healthcare systems of several countries became apparent. Actually, there was a time when surgical masks and hand sanitizers were also out of stock. The first-ever International Day of Epidemic Preparedness was observed on December 27, 2020, in light of this. The United Nations General Assembly declared the day in order to emphasize the value of epidemic prevention, readiness, and cooperation. The need for systems to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks was deemed necessary in light of COVID-19.