World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday (September 7) warned that coronavirus COVID-19 is not the last pandemic and the world must be better prepared for the next pandemic. The WHO chief said that countries must invest in public health to tackle next pandemic in a better manner.
“This will not be the last pandemic. History teaches us that outbreaks and pandemics are a fact of life. But when the next pandemic comes, the world must be ready – more ready than it was this time,” Tedros said at a press conference in Geneva.
The WHO chief made the statement at a time when the overall number of global coronavirus cases surpassed the 27 million mark and the death toll has jumped to over 882,000.
Meanwhile, a senior WHO adviser has said that the global health body is in in talks with India about joining the “COVAX” global vaccine allocation plan. Bruce Aylward told Reuters that India is eligible just like other countries in the world to be part of the COVAX facility and discussions are ongoing in that regard.
Aylward added that the WHO will welcome Indian participation as the country has wide experience with vaccines.
The WHO adviser made the statement days after Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said India’s first vaccine against the coronavirus could hit the market in 2020.