Six years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern—the highest alarm available under international law at the time. COVID-19 left a mark that’s still felt worldwide, and as this anniversary passes, WHO is asking countries, partners, and itself a tough question: Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic? The answer, WHO said in a statement, is both yes and no.
“The pandemic taught all of us many lessons—especially that global threats demand a global response,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the opening of the 158th Executive Board session. “Solidarity is the best immunity.”
In many ways, the world is better prepared. The WHO Pandemic Agreement was adopted in May 2025, setting out a comprehensive approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Amendments to the International Health Regulations entered into force in September 2025 to strengthen national capacities. The Pandemic Fund, co-founded by WHO and the World Bank, has provided over $1.2 billion in grant funding across three rounds, helping catalyze an additional $11 billion for 67 projects in 98 countries.
WHO’s Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence launched a major update leveraging AI to help more than 110 countries identify new threats faster. Genomic sequencing capacities have surged globally through the International Pathogen Surveillance Network. The WHO BioHub, supported by 30 countries, has coordinated 25 sample shipments to 13 laboratories and acquired 34 viral variants including SARS-CoV-2, mpox, Oropouche, and MERS-CoV. Global efforts to expand local vaccine and diagnostic production have accelerated through initiatives like the mRNA technology transfer hub in Cape Town and the Interim Medical Countermeasures Network.
Recent Ebola and Marburg outbreak responses show this progress clearly. Ebola, a disease that once had no vaccines or rapid diagnostics and led to catastrophic loss of life in West Africa 10 years ago, has been transformed. The most recent outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Marburg in Rwanda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia were contained quickly, with limited spread and lower death rates. National institutions led these responses with WHO support.
But these gains are fragile. Funding continues to shift away from health toward defense and national security, putting at risk the systems built during COVID-19 to protect countries from future pandemics. This is shortsighted—pandemics are national security threats. WHO urged governments not to drop the ball on pandemic preparedness. Pathogens don’t respect borders, and no country can handle a pandemic alone. Global health security requires collaboration across sectors, governments, and regions. Preparedness requires continuous vigilance.
