Pandemic.The world is more prepared but remains vulnerable: WHO warning six years after Covid-19

Whose main progress in world tradition from pandemic agreement and new observation.

Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic?The answer is yes and no.

Yes, in many ways, because significant and robust steps have been taken to strengthen preparedness.However, at the same time, no, because the progress made is fragile and uneven, and there is much more to be done to keep humanity safe.

Six years after the outbreak of a major global alarm - when the Covid-19 pandemic was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) - WHO at the WHO Executive Council event.Although PHEIC officially closed in May 2023, the effects of Covid-19 are still fresh in the memory and continue to be felt around the world.

That’s why WHO urges governments, partners and stakeholders not to lose sight of pandemic preparedness and prevention.WHO emphasizes that pathogens respect no borders and no country can prevent or respond to a pandemic alone.Global health security requires cooperation across sectors, governments and regions.

Progress after Covid-19

"The pandemic has taught us many lessons. Above all, global threats require a global response," WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus opened the Executive Council meeting. "Unity is the best immunity."

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

- The historic WHO agreement was adopted in May 2025, which establishes a truly comprehensive approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response that improves global security and global equity.His conclusion demonstrated the power of multilateralism.opens the pandemic due to the signature and entry into force of international law;

- Changes to the International Health Regulations (IHR) to strengthen national capacity, effective September 2025;

- The Epidemic Fund, co-founded and implemented by WHO and the World Bank, provided a total of more than US$1.2 billion in its first three rounds of funding, helping to catalyze an additional US$11 billion that has so far supported 67 projects in 98 countries in 6 regions, including surveillance, laboratory and multi-coordinator and workforce training networks.

- The World Health Organization's Center for Epidemiology and Epidemic Intelligence has launched a major update to its Open Source Epidemic Intelligence System (EIOS), which uses artificial intelligence to support more than 110 countries to identify and respond more quickly to emerging threats;

- Global genomic sequencing capacity has increased rapidly in recent years and, through the international pathogen surveillance network, more than 110 countries have strengthened genomic surveillance to monitor pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential and accelerate ready-made and response action;

- The WHO BioHub has been expanded as a reliable global mechanism, supported by 30 countries and territories, coordinating the shipment of 25 samples to 13 laboratories.Since its launch in late 2020, BioHub has identified 34 strains of the following viruses: SARS-CoV-2;sections mpox Ia, Ib, IIb;Oropouche virus;and MERS-CoV.About 80 laboratories from 30 countries in all WHO regions participated in the program by sharing and requesting biological materials;

- Global efforts to expand local and equitable development and production of vaccines, diagnostics and treatments accelerated through initiatives including the mRNA Technology Transfer Center in Cape Town, its training center in Seoul and the Interim Anti-Medical Network;

- The WHO Academy in France helps strengthen countries' capacities for pandemic preparedness, including simulation training.

- The Global Training Center for Biomanufacturing, established by the Republic of Korea and WHO, strengthens the workforce in the production of vaccines and high-quality biological products.By providing training in this critical area, the goal is to increase proper access to these products globally by expanding production capacity in low- and middle-income countries;

- The World Health Emergency Corps was established by the WHO in 2023 to respond to the gaps and challenges that arose during the response to COVID-19.The Corps supports countries facing public health emergencies by assessing the skills of emergency workers, rapidly deploying emergency support, and creating a network of emergency leaders from multiple countries to share best practices and coordinate responses;And

- The Universal Health and Preparedness Review (UHPR) continues to help countries identify gaps and strengthen accountability.

Other pre-pandemic work continues to strengthen pandemic preparedness, prevention and response:

- One hundred and twenty-one countries now have national public health agencies responsible for health crisis prevention, preparedness, response and resilience efforts;

- Twenty countries have completed the joint external evaluation;195 States Parties submitted annual CSR reports;22 countries finalized national action plans for health security;

- The Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) processes more than 12 million samples globally each year to characterize influenza, update seasonal influenza vaccines and recommend production of avian influenza viruses during pandemics; and

- Under the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework (PIP), OMSHA signed eight new contracts in 2025, bringing the total to 19 contracts with pandemic product manufacturers.This contract guarantees access to antivirals, diagnostics, syringes, and 900+ million vaccine doses for future influenza pandemics.

These are exceptional results that demonstrate the shared global commitment to work together across national borders and sectors to not face a pandemic unprepared and leave no one behind, WHO emphasized.WHO member states have made decisions that have strengthened the world's ability to respond quickly and not only reduce the impact of future pandemics, but also prevent them.

Recent responses to the Ebola and Marburg outbreaks clearly demonstrate this progress at the national level with WHO support. Ebola, a disease that once had no vaccines, rapid diagnosis and limited treatment options – which caused a catastrophic loss of life in West Africa a decade ago – has since changed.Recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Marburg, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia have been contained for some time, with limited spread and low mortality.The response to these epidemics was led by national institutions with the support of WHO

But the progress is weak, warns the WHO.Recent years have brought deep turbulence to global sound.fonding continues to shift away from health and to defense and national security - put at risk of future pandemics.This is short-sight.Pandemics are threats to the national security.

As a result, the call is made for governments, partners and collaborators of the WHO, which remains "committed to work in all countries to strengthen preparedness, increase innovation and maintain unity. We will continue to support members of the organization as they complete their historic efforts to create a global compact for a world safe from infectious diseases".