Marking the first-ever International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that coronavirus pandemic won’t be the last one and attempts to improve human health are doomed without tackling the two-pronged issue of climate change and animal welfare. “In the past 12 months, lives and livelihoods have been turned upside down by #COVID19. But over the years WHO and our partners have warned that the world is not prepared for a pandemic,” he said
Warning that COVID-19 won’t be the last pandemic, Ghebreyesus called upon people to learn the lessons from the pandemic. He said that firstly, all countries must invest in capacities to prevent, detect, and mitigate emergencies. Elaborating further, he stressed that preparedness for a pandemic was not individualistic but a collective task. Finally, he said that the coronavirus crisis had made people realize that “our health is crucial.”