The global community needs to better prepare for future pandemics, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). “This is a wake-up call,” WHO Director of Medical Emergencies Michael Ryan said Monday, referring to the corona crisis.
“This pandemic is very bad.” The novel coronavirus has spread “rapidly” around the world, he said. But the mortality rate is comparatively low, he said. “We need to prepare for something that may be more severe,” Ryan said.
Not adequately prepared
WHO expert Bruce Aylward also urged increased vigilance. To be sure, he said, major scientific advances have been made since the start of the Corona pandemic, such as in the development of vaccines. Still, he said, the “second and third waves” of the pandemic are not yet under control. “We are not adequately prepared for the current (pandemic), let alone the next one,” Aylward said.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed hope that the Corona crisis had raised awareness of future health risks. But he, too, called for greater efforts to be prepared to defend against future threats.
- source: oe24.at/picture: pixabay.com
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