The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has expressed concern about the possibility of a more deadly pandemic than COVID-19 in the future. He emphasized that the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency does not mean it is no longer a threat. Tedros warned that another variant could emerge and cause a surge in illness and death or a new, even deadlier pathogen could emerge.
In a report presented to the World Health Assembly, Tedros emphasized that pandemics are not the only threats the world faces. He stressed the need for effective global mechanisms that can respond to emergencies of all kinds. He also pointed out that COVID-19 has been impacting the health-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due by 2030. The pandemic has hindered progress towards achieving the 3 billion goal announced at the 2017 World Health Assembly. In a five-year plan, Tedros aims to achieve universal health coverage for one billion people and improve the protection of another billion from health emergencies.
Tedros emphasized the importance of continuing to pursue the SDGs despite the pandemic’s impact on progress. He urged the world to have the same urgency and determination to achieve these goals as it had to fight against the pandemic.