World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a video marking the first Sunday of International Epidemic Preparedness Day that “history tells us that this will not be the last pandemic and epidemics are a fact of life”.
What is he saying: Tedros said the responses to these outbreaks were “dangerously short-sighted”, throwing money at the problem without preparing for the next one.
“With investments in public health, supported by a government, a society and a health approach, we can ensure that our children and their children inherit a safer, more resilient and sustainable world.”
- “The pandemic highlighted the close links between the health of humans, animals and the planet,” added the Director-General of WHO.
- “All efforts to improve human health are doomed unless they address the critical interface between humans and animals, and the existential threat of climate change that is making our planet less habitable.”
By the numbers: Nearly 332,000 Americans died of COVID-19 and nearly 19 million tested positive, according to Johns Hopkins.
- Globally, almost 1.8 million people died from the virus and more than 80.3 million tested positive.
The big picture: Several countries have reported cases of a new strain of COVID-19 first detected in England – one of many countries that impose restrictions on citizens to contain spiking cases.