Today (March 11) marks five years since the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Five years on, the wounds caused by COVID-19 have gradually healed, but the pressure weighing on the global health system remains as the world confronts many risks of disease outbreaks.
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Five years ago, the lives of most people around the world were upended when the COVID-19 pandemic erupted and spread. Not only did it claim the lives of millions, COVID-19 also severely damaged economies and destabilised global society.
While it was a serious challenge, the pandemic also opened opportunities for the world health system to promptly identify gaps that needed to be sealed. It can be affirmed that lessons from the fight against COVID-19 have become a driving force helping countries and international organisations create notable achievements in disease prevention and control in recent times.
These include achievements in vaccine production and sharing. An undeniable fact is that COVID-19 has clearly exposed the serious inequality between nations in accessing medicines and health services. Accordingly, in many wealthy countries, where most major pharmaceutical companies are headquartered, there was a surplus of vaccines, while poorer countries could only access them in tiny amounts.
To narrow this gap, the global vaccine alliance GAVI announced a programme to accelerate African vaccine production worth 1.2 billion USD. The programme aims to support technology transfer and reduce legal barriers, thereby speeding up vaccine production in the African continent, contributing to the African Union's (AU) goal of domestically producing at least 60% of the vaccines the continent needs by 2040. Additionally, countries and international organisations continue to work to strengthen health systems, research and develop new generation vaccines, and build response plans for health shocks.
Alongside these achievements, many objectives remain unfinished. Among these is the negotiation process for a global pandemic treaty. With negotiations launched in December 2021, the treaty is expected to fill gaps in the global health system, prevent recurrence of inequality in access to vaccines and treatments, and help countries prepare for and respond to future pandemics. However, due to disagreements related to sharing vaccines, testing methods, and treatments, efforts to finalise the treaty have been repeatedly hindered.
In a recent speech, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to soon finalise the treaty for submission to the World Health Assembly in May. The WHO chief stated that countries must choose now or never, because "time is not on our side" and the risk of the next pandemic outbreak is only a matter of when, not if.
Disease outbreaks remain a constant concern globally. Recently, the world has been in a state where one disease barely ends before another arrives. Just last year, more than 200 disease outbreaks were recorded in Africa. Since late 2024, seasonal flu has evolved in complex ways in many countries from Asia to Europe and America, with rapidly increasing cases and deaths. Meanwhile, WHO still maintains a global health emergency status for monkeypox, with the number of cases continuing to rise and spread.
Experts suggest that after COVID-19, the possibility of the world facing other pandemics cannot be ruled out, especially as conditions for outbreaks such as environmental pollution, climate change, natural disasters, and conflicts appear to be increasing in frequency.
The darkest period of COVID-19 has passed, leaving behind much pain and loss, but also bringing valuable lessons. Lessons about solidarity in overcoming challenges, strengthening the global health system, and always being ready to respond to health emergencies are the foundation for the world to become increasingly stronger.
NDO
