The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the time to start preparing for the next pandemic is now.
Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday referring to what they call "Disease X".
He said they consider it to be a placeholder for an unknown pathogen that could cause another global emergency.
Ghebreyesus says they have several initiatives in place like the establishment of the "pandemic fund" as a result of many rich countries hoarding vaccines during Covid-19.
He referred to the MNRA technology transfer hub in South Africa to increase local production.
Ghebreyesus says another way to prepare the world for Disease X is what is called the pandemic agreement, involving an intelligence hub that is already up and running.
This will assist countries in sharing their samples and improve surveillance.
The time to prepare for the next pandemic is now, not when it arrives.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) January 17, 2024
