The World Health Organisation (WHO) has renewed its appeal for China to share data and provide access to information that could help determine the origins of COVID-19, marking five years since the start of the pandemic.
WHO emphasised that transparency and cooperation among nations are vital for preventing and preparing for future epidemics. Earlier this month, the WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed the issue of whether the world was better prepared for the next pandemic than it was for COVID-19.
“The answer is yes, and no,” he told a press conference.
“If the next pandemic arrived today, the world would still face some of the same weaknesses and vulnerabilities that gave COVID-19 a foothold five years ago.
“But the world has also learnt many of the painful lessons the pandemic taught us, and has taken significant steps to strengthen its defences against future epidemics and pandemics.”
The WHO recalled how, on December 31, 2019, it first learned of reports from Wuhan about a cluster of viral pneumonia cases, which eventually led to the global outbreak. The health agency called for continued efforts to understand the pandemic’s origins and to honour those affected by COVID-19, including healthcare workers and individuals suffering from Long Covid.