The world isn’t prepared for the next pandemic

On Sunday, the World Health Organisation declared the Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo a “public health emergency of international concern”. More than 500 people have contracted the viral disease and at least 130 have succumbed to it in the two countries in the past two weeks. The WHO has warned that the scale of the outbreak is “likely larger” than these figures suggest. The emergency involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no vaccines or therapeutics. The crisis has assumed even graver proportions because the global health agency’s ability to mount an effective response has been undermined by funding cuts, after the US withdrew from the organisation in January. Germany, France, the Netherlands and the UK have also slashed their funding for the agency, forcing it to reduce its 2026-2027 budget by about 8 per cent. The cuts have reportedly weakened disease surveillance systems in conflict-ridden areas such as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

After the Covid pandemic, there was broad agreement that the world required a binding international framework to respond to a health emergency. The adoption of the Global Pandemic Treaty in May last year had generated hope that countries, barring the US, could come together to forge a robust health-security architecture. But the treaty was under stress even before it was ratified. Rich countries have been reluctant to commit to mandatory technology transfers or binding obligations on sharing medical resources during crises. Developing nations continue to distrust a system that allowed vast inequalities during the Covid vaccine rollout.

In the post-Covid years, the ability to detect emerging threats and develop medical countermeasures has improved appreciably. With advances in vaccine platforms, particularly mRNA technology, pharma researchers can design inoculation programmes at a much faster pace than in pre-Covid times. Yet, as the latest report of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board —co-convened by the World Bank and WHO — points out, “the world is not ready to take on the next pandemic”. The Ebola outbreak is a stark reminder that containing infectious disease requires sustained investment in healthcare, scientific cooperation and international collaboration.