Health. WHO calls for global agreement to prepare for next pandemic
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stressed on Tuesday that this year had marked a turning point in the fight against major health problems, but that there had also been “immense suffering which could have been avoided.
In his end-of-year message, Tedros urged countries to reach an “outstanding” deal to close preparedness gaps in the event of a future pandemic.
“The year 2024 offers a unique opportunity to close these gaps,” he said, recalling that countries are negotiating the first-ever global agreement on pandemic threats. “The Pandemic Agreement is designed to close the gaps in collaboration, cooperation and fairness,” he added.
Alert levels raised
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus raised the highest level of alert on the Covid-19 pandemic in May, believing that she was now sufficiently under control. “It marked a turning point for the world after three years of crisis, suffering and loss for people around the world. I am happy to see that life has returned to normal,” stressed the WHO boss in his video message.
WHO also lifted similar alert on mpox (long called monkeypox) in May 2023, while the United Nations health agency approved new vaccines against malaria, dengue and meningitis, recalled the head of the WHO. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan, Belize and Tajikistan have been declared malaria-free.
However, regarding the resurgence of cholera, with a record number of more than 40 epidemic outbreaks around the world, he indicated that the situation was “particularly worrying”.
