The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that global investments in pandemic preparedness are failing to keep pace with rising outbreak risks, leaving nations dangerously exposed.
In a statement released on Monday, the WHO said infectious disease outbreaks are becoming increasingly frequent and severe, with widening health, economic, political and social consequences eroding recovery capacities worldwide.
A decade after the Ebola crisis exposed critical gaps in global preparedness, and six years since COVID-19 transformed those weaknesses into a catastrophe, evidence now shows that international vulnerability remains acute, according to a new report by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB).
Titled “A World on the Edge: Priorities for a Pandemic-Resilient Future”, the report finds that despite investments over the past decade, preparedness efforts have failed to keep pace with mounting threats. Geopolitical fragmentation, ecological disruption and global travel are offsetting progress.
The world is also moving backwards on equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics. Mpox vaccines reached low-income countries nearly two years after outbreaks began – slower than the 17-month wait for COVID-19 vaccines to reach vulnerable populations.
Beyond economic tolls, both Ebola and COVID-19 damaged trust in government, civil liberties and democratic norms, the report noted. Politicised responses and attacks on scientific institutions have outlasted the crises, leaving societies less resilient.
The GPMB warned that the next pandemic is likely to strike an increasingly divided and indebted world, less capable of protecting its populations than a decade ago. However, artificial intelligence and digital technologies offer new potential for pandemic monitoring, provided governance gaps are addressed.
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, GPMB Co-Chair, said: “The world does not lack practical solutions. But without trust and equity, those solutions will not reach the people who need them most.”
She urged political leaders, industry and civil society to turn commitments into measurable progress before the next crisis strikes.
The GPMB, which concludes its mandate in 2026, outlined three priorities: independent monitoring systems for global pandemic risks, equitable access to vaccines and treatments through a Pandemic Agreement, and sustainable financing for preparedness and “Day Zero” responses.
Joy Phumaphi, GPMB Co-Chair, warned: “Preparedness is not only a technical challenge – it is a test of political leadership. If trust and cooperation continue to weaken, every country will become increasingly exposed.”
Leadership will be tested this year as governments finalise the WHO Pandemic Agreement and work towards a UN political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
The 2026 GPMB report is due to be launched on 18 May at the 79th World Health Assembly.
