The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned countries against becoming complacent after COVID-19, stressing that the next global pandemic is a matter of when, not if.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, issued the warning during an online news conference on Friday, saying the COVID-19 crisis exposed serious gaps in the world’s ability to prevent and respond to major health emergencies.
According to Tedros, the pandemic claimed at least 20 million lives globally and caused more than $10 trillion in economic losses, making it one of the most devastating health crises in a century.
He said recent disease outbreaks had demonstrated that infectious diseases could emerge unexpectedly in one country and quickly pose risks to neighbouring nations and the wider international community.
Tedros pointed to the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the recent hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius as reminders of the need for stronger international cooperation.
He noted that collaboration between countries and international partners, including Spain, had contributed to containing the hantavirus outbreak.
The WHO chief said the organisation had introduced 12 major initiatives since the COVID-19 pandemic aimed at closing weaknesses in global health security.
Among the measures are the Pandemic Fund, developed with the World Bank; the Universal Health and Preparedness Review; and the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin, which is focused on surveillance and early warning systems.
He also highlighted initiatives designed to improve access to vaccines and other medical tools, including COVAX, the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme and the Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative.
Other measures include the BioHub in Switzerland, which facilitates the international sharing of pathogen samples, and the Global Health Emergency Corps, aimed at strengthening countries’ emergency response capacity.
Tedros further pointed to changes adopted by WHO member states to the International Health Regulations in 2024 and the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement in 2025 as significant steps toward strengthening the global framework for pandemic preparedness.
However, he said negotiations over the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system remained outstanding.
The WHO director-general expressed optimism that countries would resolve their differences and complete the process, which he said was necessary for countries to begin ratifying the Pandemic Agreement and bring it into force.
Addressing concerns surrounding the agreement, Tedros rejected claims that it would give WHO control over national governments.
He stressed that the agreement was negotiated and adopted by sovereign states and does not transfer national sovereignty to the organisation.
Tedros argued that because pandemics cross borders, countries cannot effectively address such threats by acting independently.
He also welcomed ongoing discussions on a political declaration at a United Nations high-level meeting, saying it would set out measurable commitments to address gaps in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
He commended Armenia and Rwanda for leading negotiations on the declaration and said WHO was prepared to support member states in implementing the commitments once adopted.
