The head of WHO, informed that the world should gear up to face a disease outbreak of “even deadlier potential” than the known covid 19, said after the launch of the global network to monitor disease threats by the UN agency.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in his speech at the world health assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, informed, although the end of covid 19 as a global health emergency, does not mean the threat to global health is over.
He informed in the annual decision-making meeting of the WHO’s member state” the threat of another variant emerging that causes new surges of disease and death remains.” he said even deadlier pathogens emerging with even deadlier potential, remain.
The study of bacteria, viruses, and other organisms carrying diseases can help scientists track and develop vaccines and treatments by using their genetic information. This information can reveal how infectious or deadly a particular strain is and how it spreads.
Tedros informs the aim is to provide access to every country, the pathogen genomic sequencing and analysis.
Global collaboration in pathogen genomic surveillance, during the fight against covid 19 has been “critical”.
Victoria Fan, a senior fellow in global health at the Center for global development, says, high-quality data, such as those would be an essential tool for formulating pathogens with pandemic potential and encouraging timely response by other countries. She added, encouraging positive incentives such as paying countries for reporting and reducing negative incentives in the form of reduced trade or travel restrictions placed by other countries may encourage positive feedback.
WHO stated that covid-19 is no longer classified as a health emergency of international concern, informing that the virus was considered “an established and ongoing health issue.”
Analysis informed, although the decline in covid – 19 hospitalization and deaths, the implications for low- and middle-income countries with regard to access resources and national health spending priorities, may still be very much a concern. An equitable, decisive, and collective answer must be ready when the next pandemic comes knocking, and it will, said Tedrosn.
