The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the world faces worsening pandemic threats, with investments in preparedness failing to keep pace with rising global outbreak risks and emergencies.
A statement released on Monday said experts monitoring global preparedness cautioned that infectious disease outbreaks are becoming more frequent and damaging, with widening health, economic, political, and social consequences that weaken recovery capacities worldwide.
According to the statement, a decade after Ebola exposed dangerous gaps in outbreak preparedness and six years after COVID-19 revealed those weaknesses on a global scale, evidence now clearly shows ongoing international vulnerability.
The new Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) report, titled “A World on the Edge: Priorities for a Pandemic-Resilient Future,” found that infectious disease outbreaks are increasing in frequency, severity, and impact globally.
The report highlighted that outbreaks are causing expanding health, economic, political, and social consequences, while countries lack sufficient capacity and resilience to recover effectively from major public health emergencies.
It warned that despite investments over the past decade, preparedness efforts have not kept pace with rising pandemic threats and increasing vulnerabilities.
“New initiatives have improved aspects of preparedness, but these efforts are offset by rising geopolitical fragmentation, ecological disruption, and global travel,” the report states.
It analyzed a decade of Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEICs), from Ebola in West Africa to COVID-19 and mpox, assessing their impacts on health systems, economies, and societies.
The report also noted that, despite global commitments to promote fairness, access to diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics remains unequal. For example, mpox vaccines reached affected low-income countries nearly two years after outbreaks began—slower than the 17 months it took for COVID-19 vaccines to reach vulnerable populations.
“The toll of these emergencies extends beyond health and economics: Ebola and COVID-19 damaged trust in governments, civil liberties, and democratic norms.
politicized responses, attacks on scientific institutions, and polarization have outlasted the crises, leaving societies less resilient for future emergencies,” the statement added.
The report emphasized that the immediate risk of another pandemic would strike a world that is increasingly divided and indebted, less capable of protecting populations than a decade ago.
It warned that if governments fail to strengthen preparedness systems and international cooperation, the global community could face even greater health, social, and economic crises.
The report highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence and digital technologies for pandemic monitoring but cautioned that poor governance could exacerbate health security and access inequalities worldwide.
Mrs. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, GPMB Co-Chair, stated that practical solutions for strengthening preparedness and improving coordinated responses already exist.
“But without trust and equity, these solutions will not reach those who need them most,” she urged, calling for stronger commitments to equitable international pandemic preparedness.
She emphasized that political leaders, industry, and civil society can still change the course of global preparedness if they turn commitments into measurable actions before the next crisis.
Grabar-Kitarovic noted that the GPMB, whose mandate concludes in 2026, identified three priorities: establishing independent systems to monitor and evaluate pandemic risks, ensuring equitable access to vaccines and treatments through the Pandemic Agreement, and securing sustainable financing for preparedness and emergency responses.
Dr. Joy Phumaphi, GPMB Co-Chair, warned that weakening international trust and cooperation would leave every country more vulnerable to future pandemics.
“Preparedness is not just a technical challenge; it’s a test of political leadership,” she said, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and accountability.
She added that leadership will be tested this year as governments finalize the WHO Pandemic Agreement and work toward a meaningful UN declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, expected in 2026.
The 2026 GPMB report will be launched during the 79th World Health Assembly, where global leaders will review progress on international preparedness and response efforts.
