WHO director-general: Dangerous new pandemic may be imminent

Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has issued a stark warning, stating that a new pandemic could strike at any moment, potentially as soon as the following day.

He called on countries to accelerate their efforts to finalize an agreement focused on preventing future pandemics, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

In his speech to ambassadors from WHO member states, Ghebreyesus acknowledged that while the COVID-19 pandemic may feel like a distant memory amidst current geopolitical and economic upheaval, the next global health crisis could emerge without warning.

He emphasised that the next pandemic would not wait for global situations to stabilize, stressing that it could occur in 20 years or even tomorrow, and that the world must be ready. The WHO chief also underscored the necessity of international collaboration, highlighting that the world requires the involvement and leadership of member states to complete the WHO pandemic agreement. This agreement is designed to enable a more coordinated and effective response to health emergencies in the future. 

Ghebreyesus reminded the ambassadors that achieving global health security would depend on coordinated efforts and a unified approach to common threats. He noted that the ongoing negotiations, which have been underway for more than three years, aim to address the lessons learned from past pandemics and reconcile the various needs and priorities of member states. He concluded by expressing his belief that the ambassadors were prepared to move towards consensus, urging the international community to act swiftly and decisively in order to prevent future pandemics and safeguard global health. 

The 77th World Health Assembly, held in Geneva from May 27 to June 1, 2024, extended the mandate of the negotiating body established in 2021 to develop an international pandemic treaty. The results of this work are expected to be presented at the 78th Assembly in May 2025. Previously, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the progress on the treaty has been hindered by the spread of misinformation online, claiming that the treaty would infringe upon the sovereignty of the countries that sign it. The COVID-19 public health emergency was in effect globally from the end of January 2020 until May 5, 2023. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of March 16, 2025, there have been 777,664,564 reported cases of coronavirus infection worldwide, with 7,091,788 fatalities.

By Naila Huseynova