Governments must invest in a response to global contagion, the World Health Organization has suggested
Another deadly pandemic could emerge as soon as “tomorrow,” the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, calling on the countries of the world to prepare for it.
In a statement on Monday, the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged governments to invest in health security and finalize the Pandemic Agreement, an international treaty on pandemic prevention and response.
The global outbreak of COVID-19, which began in late 2019, resulted in an estimated 20 million deaths worldwide and wiped more than $10 trillion from the global economy, according to the WHO.
A new similar contagion “could happen in 20 years or more, or it could happen tomorrow. But it will happen, and either way, we must be ready,” Ghebreyesus has said, describing it as “an epidemiological certainty” rather than “a theoretical risk.”
A pandemic can cause more social and economic damage than a war, he claimed, while pointing out that the investment needed in health security is “nothing” compared to what governments spend on defense.
”All countries need to find a balance in protecting their people from both bombs and bugs,” he said.
On Tuesday, the US proposed a record-breaking $1 trillion defense budget. In March, the European Union announced a plan to mobilise up to €800 billion to militarize the bloc, citing a perceived threat from Russia.
While the Pandemic Agreement under discussion at the WHO does not specify exact amounts that governments are expected to allocate, it aims to improve global preparedness and response to future threats.
In January, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating the withdrawal of the United States from the WHO, despite historically being the largest single contributor to the organization. Trump cited its alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 global outbreak, as he initiated the year-long withdrawal process.
Trump has also appointed critics of mainstream COVID-19 policies to key health positions. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford University professor known for opposing lockdowns and vaccine mandates, was appointed to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine sceptic, became Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
