Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic?

Six years ago, the Director-General of the World Health Organization sounded the highest global alert possible under international law at the time, declaring the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (later known as COVID-19) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Although PHEIC was declared complete in May 2023, the impact of COVID-19 remains etched in our collective memory – and continues to be felt around the world.

As we cross this six-year mark, WHO is asking countries and partners, just as we are asking: is the world better prepared for the next pandemic?

The answer is both yes and no.

Yes, the world is better prepared in many ways because meaningful, concrete steps have been taken to strengthen preparedness.

However, at the same time, no, because the progress made is fragile and uneven, and more needs to be done to keep humanity safe.

Progress since COVID-19

“The pandemic has taught us all many lessons – especially that global threats require a global response,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the opening of the 158th World Health Organization today.^th session of the Executive Board. “Solidarity is the best immunity.”

Applying lessons learned from COVID-19, WHO, Member States and partners have made significant progress in pandemic preparedness, prevention and response, including:

• the historic WHO Pandemic Agreement was adopted in May 2025establishing a truly comprehensive approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response that improves global health security and global health equity. His conclusion showed the power of multilateralism. Member states are now negotiating a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System (PABS) annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement ahead of this year’s World Health Assembly. Its adoption would open the Pandemic Agreement for signature and entry into force as international law;
• amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) for the strengthening of national capacities entered into force September 2025;
• pandemic fundco-founded and implemented by the WHO and the World Bank, provided grants in total over 1.2 billion dollars in its first three rounds, which helped catalyze an additional US$11 billion that has so far supported 67 projects in 98 countries in 6 regions, to expand surveillance, laboratory networks, workforce training and cross-sector coordination;
• WHO Center for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence launched a major update Outbreak Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system, using AI to support more than 110 countries in faster recognition and response to new threats;
• genomic sequencing capabilities have grown globally in recent years and through International Pathogen Surveillance Networkmore than 110 countries strengthened genomic surveillance to track pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential and accelerated preparedness and response measures;
• the WHO BioHub extended as a trusted global mechanism, supported by 30 countries and territoriescoordination 25 sample shipments to 13 laboratories. Since launching in late 2020, BioHub has gained 34 variants from the following viruses: SARS-CoV-2; mpox clades Ia, Ib, IIb; Oropouche virus; and MERS-CoV. Close to 80 laboratories from 30 countries in all regions of the World Health Organization have joined the system by sharing and requesting biological materials;
• global efforts to expand local, fair development and production of vaccines, diagnostics and treatment accelerated through initiatives including Cape Town mRNA Technology Transfer Centrehis training center in Seouland Temporary Medical Countermeasures Network;
• WHO Academy in France, it will help strengthen countries’ capacities for pandemic preparedness, including simulation training;
• the A global training center for biomanufacturingestablished by the Republic of Korea and the WHO, strengthens the capacity of the workforce in the production of high-quality vaccines and biological medicines. By providing training in this critical area, the goal is to increase equitable access to such products globally by expanding production capacity in low- and middle-income countries;
• the Global Health Emergency Corps WHO established 2023 in response to gaps and challenges identified during the response to COVID-19. The Corps supports countries facing public health emergencies by assessing emergency workforce capacity, rapidly deploying emergency support, and creating a network of multi-country emergency managers to share best practices and coordinate responses; and
• the Universal Health and Fitness Survey (UHPR) continues to help countries identify gaps and strengthen accountability.

The second work, which preceded the pandemic, continues to strengthen preparedness, prevention and response to the pandemic:

• one hundred and twenty one countries now have national agencies for public health responsible for their prevention, preparedness, response and resilience to health emergencies;
• twenty countries completed joint external evaluations; 195 state parties submitted annual reports on IHR; 22 countries completed National Action Plans for Health Security;
• the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) processes over 12 million samples worldwide each year to characterize influenza and update seasonal influenza vaccines and recommend avian influenza viruses for interpandemic production; and
• below Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework (PIP), WHO signed eight new agreements in 2025, making a total of 19 agreements with pandemic product manufacturers. These agreements have ensured access to antiviral drugs, diagnostics, syringes and more than 900 million doses of vaccine for future influenza pandemics.

These are outstanding achievementsreflecting a shared global commitment to working together across national borders, across all sectors so that we never again face a pandemic unprepared and leave no one behind.

WHO member states took decisions that strengthened the world’s ability not only to respond more quickly and mitigate the impact of future pandemics, but also to prevent them in the first place.

Recent responses to the Ebola and Marburg outbreaks clearly demonstrate this progress at national levels with the support of the World Health Organization. Ebola, a disease that once had no vaccine, rapid diagnosis and limited treatment options – leading to a catastrophic loss of life in West Africa 10 years ago – has meanwhile been transformed. Recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Marburg, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia have been contained in a fraction of the time, with limited spread and lower death rates. Responses to these epidemics were led by national institutions with the support of the WHO.

But these gains are fragile

The past year has brought profound turbulence to global health. Funding continues to be diverted from health to defense and national security – putting at risk the very systems that were strengthened during COVID-19 to protect countries from future pandemics.

This is short sighted. Pandemics are threats to national security.

Investing in readiness is investing in:

• lives saved
• economy protected
• societies stabilized.

A call to action

WHO calls on all governments, partners and stakeholders to: don’t drop the ball on pandemic preparedness and prevention.

This week’s WHO Executive Board meeting will be a pivotal moment in this journey, as governments set the course for designing a future of collaboration, accountability and efficiency in who does what in global health.

Pathogens do not respect borders. No country can prevent or manage a pandemic on its own.

Global health security requires cooperation across sectors, across governments and across regions.

WHO remains committed to working with all countries to strengthen preparedness, accelerate innovation and maintain solidarity. We will continue to support member states as they complete their historic efforts to create a global agreement for a pandemic-safer world.

Preparedness requires constant vigilance. The time to prepare is now – before the next pandemic.