WHO calls for world pandemic treaty to prepare for Disease X

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus has urged countries to endorse the organization's pandemic treaty in preparation for a potential future threat known as "Disease X." Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ghebreyesus expressed hope for a global agreement on pandemics by May to address this hypothetical virus, which scientists believe could be 20 times deadlier than COVID-19. Disease X is a placeholder for a yet-unknown virus added to the WHO's list in 2017 as a potential cause of a severe international epidemic.

Ghebreyesus emphasized that COVID-19 was the first Disease X, underscoring the need to prepare for future pandemics. He stressed the importance of a shared response through a treaty, which could facilitate a coordinated global effort. The treaty, currently being negotiated, aims to promote an all-of-government and all-of-society approach, enhancing capacities and resilience at national, regional, and global levels.