In launching the resumed Thirteenth Meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body on the WHO Pandemic Agreement, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued a stark warning: another world pandemic is not a question of if—but when.

“The next pandemic won’t wait for things to settle down,” warned Dr. Tedros, stating that the risk is not one of theory but “an epidemiological certainty.” He stressed that it could happen “in 20 years, or tomorrow,” but in any case, the world must prepare.

Reflecting on the devastation of COVID-19, he mentioned the devastating cost: “Officially, 7 million people died, but we estimate the true number to be 20 million. Aside from the human toll, the pandemic removed more than $10 trillion from the global economy.”

Despite these grim statistics, Dr. Tedros hoped that negotiations could lead to a strong global agreement through the WHO Pandemic Agreement. He emphasized that the agreement would not undermine any country’s sovereignty—rather, he argued, it would do the reverse by increasing national independence and global cooperation.

The 77th World Health Assembly, held in Geneva from May 27 to June 1, 2024, paved the way for this next step by voting to update the International Health Regulations and continue the negotiations on the pandemic agreement.

The global health emergency caused by COVID-19 technically lasted from January 2020 to May 2023. As of March 23, 2025, there are over 777 million reported cases and over 7 million deaths globally.

The message of Dr. Tedros is clear: the world cannot afford to be caught off guard again.