New Delhi (NVI): World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that coronavirus is not the last pandemic and that the world must be better prepared when the next one hits.
The WHO chief has called upon countries to invest in public health. Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, Tedros said, “History teaches us that outbreaks and pandemics are a fact of life. But when the next pandemic comes, the world must be ready more ready than it was this time.”
The WHO chief statement comes after the overall tally of global coronavirus cases surpassed 27 million mark, while the deaths have increased to over 882,000.
Moreover, the WHO review committee established to assess the performance of its International Health Regulations during the global coronavirus pandemic will begin its work on September 8, Tedros said.
“The review committee of the International Health Regulations will begin its work. The International Health Regulation is the most important legal instrument in global health security. As a reminder, the review committee will evaluate the functioning of the IHR during the pandemic so far and recommend any changes it believes are necessary,” he added.
Tedros further said, “It will review the convening of the Emergency Committee, the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern, the role and functioning of international IHR focal points, and will examine the progress made in implementing the recommendations of previous International Health Regulation review committees.”
Earlier, the WHO chief had warned against COVID-19 ‘vaccine nationalism’, calling on countries around the world to join forces to tackle the deadly virus.
“In our inter-connected world, if people in low and middle-income countries miss out on vaccines, the virus will continue to kill and the economic recovery globally will be delayed. So, using vaccines as a global public good is in the national interest of each and every country. Vaccine nationalism will prolong the pandemic, not shorten it,” Tedros said.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the GAVI vaccine alliance are leading the COVAX facility, aimed at helping buy and distribute vaccination shots fairly around the world.
-RJV
