The pandemic caused by the coronavirus will not be the last and attempts to improve human health are "
doomed
" if we do not tackle climate change and animal welfare, believes the boss of the World Health Organization (WHO).
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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also condemns the "
dangerously short-sighted
"
cycle
of spending money without counting when an epidemic flares up, but doing nothing to prepare for the next one, in a striking video message, Sunday, December 27, the first International Epidemic Preparedness Day.
The WHO director-general said it was time to learn lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“
For too long the world has operated on a cycle of panic and neglect,
” he said.
"
We throw money at one epidemic and when it is over we forget about it and do nothing to prevent the next one
.
"
Read also: Coronavirus: 25 million cases in Europe, the EU will launch vaccination
The first annual report of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board of September 2019 on the state of the planet's preparedness for health emergencies, released a few months before the appearance of the new coronavirus, stressed that the planet was woefully ill-prepared for potentially devastating pandemics .
"
History tells us that this will not be the last pandemic and epidemics are a fact of life,
" Ghebreyesus said in his post.
"
The pandemic has highlighted the intimate links between the health of humans, animals and the planet,
" he added.
For the former Ethiopian health minister, the coronavirus crisis shouldn't have come as a surprise, given the repeated warnings.
According to him, all countries should invest in preparedness capacities to avoid, detect and mitigate emergencies of all kinds, which is why he calls for a strengthening of the supply of care.
The boss of the WHO believes that with investments in public health, "
we can ensure that our children and their children inherit a safer, more resilient and more sustainable world
."
