Africa: Six Years After Covid-19's Global Alarm - Is the World Better Prepared for the Next Pandemic?

Six years after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the organization has released a comprehensive review of global pandemic preparedness. While significant institutional and legal frameworks have been established—including the adoption of the historic WHO Pandemic Agreement in May 2025 and the enforcement of amended International Health Regulations in September 2025—the WHO warns that progress remains fragile. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, highlighted that global funding is increasingly shifting away from health toward defense and national security, which threatens the systems built during the COVID-19 era. Key achievements noted include the distribution of over $1.2 billion via the Pandemic Fund, the expansion of the WHO BioHub, and the establishment of the mRNA technology transfer hub in Cape Town. However, the WHO emphasizes that pandemic preparedness requires continuous vigilance and multisectoral collaboration to prevent a repeat of the 2020 crisis.