Ima Elijah

<h3>In a stern message to the global community, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has cautioned that the world must brace itself for a disease that could prove more lethal than the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. </h3>

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivered the warning during the annual meeting of the organisation's 194 member states.

Presenting a new global initiative aimed at identifying and monitoring the most dangerous pathogens, Dr Tedros emphasised the urgency of the situation. He addressed the World Health Assembly forum, stressing that the threat of a future public health crisis could not be overlooked or postponed.

Despite progress made in overcoming the darkest days of the pandemic, the emergence of a doomsday variant of COVID-19 with the potential to plunge the world back into chaos remains a possibility.

"The threat of another variant emerging that causes new surges of disease and death remains. And the threat of another pathogen emerging with even deadlier potential remains," Dr Tedros stated with grave concern.

While no specific diseases were named, the UN agency's list of pressing threats includes 'Disease X,' a hypothetical term used to denote a devastating pathogen yet to be discovered. The inclusion of Disease X underscores the need for preparedness and vigilance in the face of unknown future challenges.

Dr Tedros' cautionary remarks come just weeks after the WHO declared that COVID-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

Instead, the virus is now regarded as an established and ongoing health issue. This shift in classification highlights the evolving nature of the pandemic and the need for long-term strategies to combat the virus.

The WHO's new global scheme unveiled by Dr Tedros seeks to identify and track potentially dangerous pathogens before they become widespread and catastrophic.

By proactively monitoring and responding to emerging threats, the international community aims to prevent future pandemics from reaching the devastating scale witnessed with COVID-19.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has cautioned that the world must brace itself for a disease that could prove more lethal than the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Be ready for deadlier disease than COVID-19, WHO warns

Jude Egbas

<h1>President Donald Trump’s declaration that the U.S. would halt funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO), has earned him a tongue-lash from Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director General of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC).</h1>

The U.S would be depriving the WHO of roughly 15 percent of its budget with its defunding.

Trump said the WHO has become too "China-centric", criticized the organisation for its handling of the pandemic so far and for pandering to China's whims and caprices.

Trump was widely criticized for his action, undertaken in the middle of a pandemic; and Ihekweazu agrees that the U.S. president is way out of line with his decision.&nbsp;

“We rely on the WHO for guidance, lives are saved because of the work that they do... we don’t have the luxury on the continent to build up all the infrastructure on our own,” Ihekweazu said of Africa’s situation, calling the WHO “critical to our collective survival,” Reuters reports.&nbsp;

He said there will be dire consequences for the rest of the world if the WHO isn't funded at this time.

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">With support from our donors <a href="https://twitter.com/WHOAFRO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WHOAFRO</a> is able to carry out vital work on the continent, supporting countries in strengthening health systems along with partners like <a href="https://twitter.com/NCDCgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NCDCgov</a>. Thank you Dr <a href="https://twitter.com/Chikwe_I?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chikwe_I</a> for your support. <a href="https://t.co/zqGC4kdrFA">pic.twitter.com/zqGC4kdrFA</a>&mdash; Dr Matshidiso Moeti (@MoetiTshidi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MoetiTshidi/status/1253403308313792513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

</div>

Ihekweazu said “if the funding to WHO is affected in the way it may be, then there will be a huge price for humanity to pay.”

<h2>Jack Ma as the gift that keeps on giving</h2>

In a related development, African nations that lack ventilators to treat COVID-19 patients will receive 300 of the machines from the Jack Ma Foundation, an African Union official said on Thursday.

According to Ihekweazu, Nigeria began combating the pandemic with roughly 350 ventilators for its 200 million citizens. It has since received around 100 additional units.

<a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/coronavirus-chinese-billionaire-jack-ma-donates-ventilators-ppes-to-nigeria-others/983kb09">Ma has previously donated</a> protective equipment, test kits and masks to the continent.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Co-Founder of Alibaba Jack Ma

Africa’s 54 countries have so far reported fewer than 26,000 confirmed cases of the disease, just a fraction of the more than two million cases reported globally.&nbsp;

However, the WHO has warned that the continent could see as many as 10 million cases in three to six months, according to its tentative model.

Nigeria has <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/coronavirus-cases-rise-to-873-as-nigeria-records-91-new-cases/cc3xqh4">reported 873 coronavirus cases</a> at the time of filing this.

Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control

Ihekweazu warns of dire consequences if the WHO isn't supported at this time.

NCDC boss Ihekweazu drags Trump for stopping WHO funding

Politics

Local

Metro

World

News 

Celebrities

Music

Movies

Entertainment

Fashion

Beauty & Health

Relationships & Weddings

Food & Travel

Lifestyle

Domestic

International 

Business

About

Highlights

Selection Criteria

Jury

Terms And Conditions

FAQs

Pulse Influencer Awards

Sports 

Celebrity Picks

Pulse Picks

Courses

Careers

Pulse Marketing

Explore categories

Pulse Nigeria is the most followed news and entertainment platform, informing and engaging young Nigerians round the clock, providing updates by the hour.