The World Health Organization (WHO) has alerted Nigeria and other countries to be prepared for another global pandemic after Coronavirus (COVID-19).
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, raised the alarm on Monday while speaking at the ongoing 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva, which sets to address global health challenges, including future pandemics and eradicating polio, among others, OsunDaily News reports.
Ghebreyesus said the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency is not the end of COVID-19 as a global health threat, noting that there is the threat of another variant emerging that causes new surges of disease and death.
“And the threat of another pathogen emerging with even deadlier potential remains. And pandemics are far from the only threat we face. In a world of overlapping and converging crises, an effective architecture for health emergency preparedness and response must address emergencies of all kinds.
“This year’s High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Preparedness and Response is a valuable opportunity for leaders to chart a clear path forward towards that future.
“We cannot kick this can down the road. If we do not make the changes that must be made, then who will? And if we do not make them now, then when? When the next pandemic comes knocking – and it will – we must be ready to answer decisively, collectively and equitably,” the WHO DG said.
