In a period when global Covid cases are showing signs of stabilization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), has cautioned that the world needs to ready itself for the possibility of a future pandemic that could potentially be "even more severe" than the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the yearly gathering of the United Nations agency, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) commended nations for their "momentous" choice to embrace a substantial budget augmentation and urged them to undertake essential reforms in readiness for the forthcoming pandemic.
In a speech delivered at the assembly a few weeks following the removal of the Covid-19 pandemic from the status of a global emergency, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the need to advance negotiations on preventing future pandemics, signalling that the time to take action had arrived.
During a significant address to the member states of the WHO, the director-general issued a stark warning about the impending arrival of the next pandemic, emphasizing that it would inevitably "make its presence known," and firmly stating, "We cannot delay addressing this issue any longer."
The annual World Health Assembly in Geneva, spanning over a period of 10 days and coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the WHO, will tackle global health challenges such as future pandemics, eradicating polio, and providing assistance for resolving Ukraine's healthcare crisis resulting from Russia's aggression.
The WHO's 194 member countries are presently engaged in the development of a pandemic treaty, which is anticipated to receive approval at the subsequent year's assembly.
Tedros stated, "The commitment of this generation to a pandemic accord is crucial, as it is this generation that has witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of a tiny virus."
