WHO fears the risk of an epidemic could be 20 times greater than Covid-19

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Photo: Reuters).

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, WHO Director-General Tedros said he hoped countries would reach an agreement on the pandemic by next May to deal with this "common enemy".

Disease X is a hypothetical epidemic, added to the WHO research list since 2017. It appears to be from an unknown virus, which could be 20 times more dangerous than Covid-19 and cause a serious international pandemic.

Mr Ghebreyesus said Covid-19 was the first Disease X, but it was important to prepare for another pandemic.

"We have lost many people in the Covid-19 pandemic because we could not control it. Many people may have had a chance to live, but the hospitals are not enough, there is not enough oxygen. So how do we have a system that can meet the needs of expansion," the WHO leader emphasized.

Working together through the treaty would help the world better respond to another pandemic, he said.

"A pandemic agreement can bring together all the experiences, all the challenges we face and all the solutions into one. It can help us prepare for the future better. This is a global common good and very narrow national interests should not interfere," Mr. Ghebreyesus said.

He said some preparedness responses could include early warning systems, organizing supply chains and accelerating research and development to test drugs. Primary health care also needs to be considered because wealthy countries have fared poorly during the Covid-19 pandemic because they have struggled with basics like contact tracing.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/who-lo-ngai-nguy-co-xay-ra-dich-benh-co-the-gap-20-lan-covid-19-20240122195057160.htm