In a sobering address at the World Government Summit in Dubai, World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus sounded the alarm on the looming threat of Disease X.

Tedros, known by his first name, drew parallels to his warning in 2018 about the likelihood of a pandemic, a prediction that materialised with the devastating onset of COVID-19.

Stressing the global community’s unpreparedness for another health crisis, he reiterated the urgent need for a comprehensive international treaty to fortify pandemic preparedness.

“The painful lessons we learned are in danger of being forgotten as attention turns to the many other crises confronting our world,” Tedros lamented, highlighting the ongoing repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, including loss of life and socioeconomic disruptions.

Despite some strides in bolstering surveillance and vaccine production capabilities, Tedros cautioned that the world remains ill-equipped to confront another pandemic.

He warned that history has repeatedly shown pandemics to be an inevitability, with Disease X representing a hypothetical yet ominous threat.

‘Don’t even know yet’

“Disease X is a placeholder for a disease we don’t even know about yet, but for which we can nonetheless prepare,” Tedros explained, underscoring the imperative of proactive measures in readiness for unforeseen pathogens.

As the clock ticks on the deadline for a global pandemic treaty set in 2021, Tedros urged nations to set aside differences and commit to collaborative efforts under a “one health” approach.

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He dispelled misconceptions surrounding the treaty, refuting claims of WHO overreach and emphasising its focus on cooperation in research, access to vaccines, and information sharing.

However, Tedros acknowledged significant barriers to consensus, including misinformation campaigns spreading falsehoods about the treaty’s implications. He called for a concerted effort to counter these narratives, emphasising the treaty’s potential to enhance global health security.

“We cannot allow this historic agreement, this milestone in global health, to be sabotaged by those who spread lies, either deliberately or unknowingly,” Tedros asserted.