Global Health Warning: World Still Unprepared For Next Pandemic, Leaders Told
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
In a world still recovering from COVID-19, a stark warning has emerged, the next pandemic could strike before nations are ready.
A statement issued on 1 May 2026 by Helen Clark, Co-Chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, reveals troubling gaps in global readiness, despite years of lessons from recent health crises.
Clark expressed concern that critical negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex, a key component of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, have stalled, threatening progress towards a unified global response framework.
She warned that if a new pathogen were to emerge today, most countries would struggle to respond effectively, describing the lack of urgency in preparedness efforts as “a disservice to humanity.”
The statement highlights major weaknesses, including poor outbreak surveillance systems, inadequate funding, and the absence of coordinated global mechanisms to respond swiftly.
It also underscores the need for countries to strengthen their implementation of International Health Regulations and adopt a “One Health” approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health systems.
Clark further noted that low- and middle-income countries remain particularly vulnerable due to rising debt burdens and declining international support, a gap she insists must be urgently addressed through new global financing commitments.
With a crucial United Nations high-level meeting on pandemic preparedness scheduled for September in New York, global leaders are being urged to act decisively, close existing gaps, and finalise the PABS Annex to ensure equitable and effective responses to future health threats.
The message is clear: the cost of inaction could be measured not just in billions of dollars, but in millions of lives.
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