WHO Warns The World To Face X Disease

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus/WHO DOK

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned the world community to prepare for an X disease or an unknown disease.

The WHO also expressed hope that countries would reach an agreement regarding the pandemic in May this year to address the common enemy.

"The pandemic agreement can bring together all the experiences, challenges we have faced and all solutions to one," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, Switzerland as reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Wednesday, January 17.

WHO introduced the term Disease X in 2018 to describe an unknown disease. Tedros said it was possible that unknown things could happen in the future, and it was "just a matter of time, not if."

"We must not face something like that without preparation, we must also prepare for something unknown," he said in a panel discussion entitled Prepared for Disease X

He stressed that research and development, health infrastructure, and labor are very important to prepare for disease X. Tedros also emphasized the importance of primary health, as has been shown by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even people can get ready to face disease X, he said, adding that public health, education, and communication must be a top priority.

Tedros reiterated the importance of the pandemic agreement and emphasized that the deal could help the world prepare for a better future.

"Because this is a common enemy, and without a shared response, starting from preparedness... we will face the same problem as COVID-19," he said, adding.

Tedros hopes that countries will reach a pandemic agreement agreement by May 2024 as set.

He said if a generation with direct experience with the COVID-19 pandemic could not reach a pandemic agreement, then he was not sure if the next generation would be able to do so.

"For the sake of our children and grandchildren,... we must prepare the world for the future," Tedros said.