By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged nations across the world to be at alert over the possible outbreak of disease deadlier than coronavirus, known also as COVID-19 believed to have its origin in China.
Giving this stern warning on Tuesday while addressing the World Health Assembly forum in Geneva, Switzerland, head of WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the threat of another public health crisis could not be kicked ‘down the road’.
“The threat of another variant emerging that causes new surges of disease and death remains,” Ghebreyesus warned.
According to him, the threat of another pathogen emerging with even deadlier potential remains.
WHO had in 2018 identified nine priority diseases that pose the biggest risk to public health.
They were deemed to be most risky due to a lack of treatments or their ability to cause a pandemic.
He also claimed that despite the darkest days of the Coronavirus pandemic being consigned to history, a doomsday Covid variant with the power to send the world back to square one could still spawn.
Ghebreyesus, however, went ahead to unveil a new global scheme to spot and track the most dangerous pathogens.
“We cannot kick this can down the road. When the next pandemic comes knocking and it will, we must be ready to answer decisively, collectively and equitably.”
