Invest In Public Health, WHO Urges World As Virus Cases Rise

‘This will not be the last pandemic. 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’

World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday the world must be better prepared for the next pandemic, as he called on countries to invest in public health.

More than 27.19 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 888,326 have died, according to a tally, since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

“This will not be the last pandemic,” Tedros told a news briefing in Geneva. “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 World Health Organisation is in talks with India about joining the “COVAX” global vaccine allocation plan, a senior WHO adviser said on Monday.

“India is certainly eligible, like all countries in the world, to be part of the COVAX facility and discussions are ongoing in that regard,” Bruce Aylward told a briefing in Geneva.

“We would welcome Indian participation ...India has extensive experience (with vaccines).”