The race to build a pandemic-proof world
The UN warns that global pandemic preparedness remains inadequate six years after COVID-19, despite progress on a new international treaty to coordinate prevention, equitable access, and rapid response.
Six years after COVID-19 caused over seven million deaths and exposed deep inequities in health care access, the world continues to seek stronger pandemic defenses amid rising threats from infectious diseases, climate crises, and conflicts.
The pandemic strained economies, overwhelmed health systems, and highlighted disparities in vaccine distribution, with richer nations far better positioned than poorer ones.
The UN Secretary-General described the response as a mix of human ingenuity and failure, emphasizing that viruses transcend borders and require international collaboration in surveillance, research, and equitable access to medical tools.
The crisis revealed that prevention and preparedness must be treated as global priorities, not national ones, to ensure no country is left vulnerable when the next outbreak strikes.