Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief, has gone on to warn that the world must make sure to prepare itself for a future virus that can be even deadlier than COVID-19. He spoke on this at the annual health assembly that took place in Geneva and put stress on the fact that one needs to prioritise negotiations that are targeted at preventing the world from the future pandemics.
As per the WHO chief, the world must ensure to prepare for a virus that’s deadlier than COVID, to which apparently a minimum of 20 million people succumbed. Threat related to another variant coming-up that leads to a surge in the disease as well as deaths remains, and there is also a possibility of another pathogen coming up that has even more deadly potential.
One of the reports from a daily stated that the WHO has gone on to identify nine priority diseases that happen to pose the biggest risk when it comes to public health. These diseases can be termed risky because of a lack of treatment options or their ability to cause a pandemic.
Dr. Tedros said that the world was indeed taken by surprise and was found completely unprepared for COVID-19, which is regarded as the most severe health crisis of the century.
Speaking at the assembly, weeks after eliminating the tag of global emergency status for COVID-19, the WHO chief said that it is indeed time to advance the negotiations when it comes to preventing the world from the next pandemic.
He added that it is not a wise step to kick this down the road, as the next pandemic is bound to come knocking. If the changes aren’t made by the authorities, then who will? he remarked. Tedros added that if the changes are not made now, then when?
The 10-day yearly World Health Assembly held in Geneva goes on to coincide with the 75th anniversary of WHO and is set to take into account issues pertaining to health challenges worldwide such as future pandemics, polio eradication, and also aiding to ease the health emergency in Ukraine that’s been triggered due to the Russian war.