GENEVA: World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday the world must be better prepared for the next pandemic, as he called on countries to invest in public health.
More than 27.19 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel Coronavirus globally and 888,326 have died, according to a Reuters tally, since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.
"This will not be the last pandemic," Tedros told a news briefing in Geneva. "History teaches us that outbreaks and pandemics are a fact of life. But when the next pandemic comes, the world must be ready – more ready than it was this time."
Meanwhile, Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday praised China's role in battling the Coronavirus pandemic and expressed support for the World Health Organisation, in a repudiation of US criticism and a bid to rally domestic support for Communist Party leadership.
Xi told a televised assembly at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing that China's battle against COVID-19 demonstrated the strengths of its socialist system and traditional Chinese culture in stirring motivation, building consensus and pooling resources.
We are willing to do whatever it takes to protect people's lives! Xi told participants, most of whom wore masks and exercised social distancing.
The Coronavirus was first detected in the central city of Wuhan late last year, and the US and others have alleged the outbreak spread out of control because China withheld information about it. China says it acted swiftly and responsibly but has rejected calls for an independent investigation into its handling of the emergency.
China has also been a key supporter of the WHO against accusations, mainly from the US, that the organisation is too China-centric" in its orientation.
Washington is in the process of withdrawing from the UN health agency, to which it still owes back dues.
Xi said China would continue to support the WHO in playing a leading role in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic." All selfishness, scapegoating and confusing right and wrong will not only hurt a country and its people, but harm people of all countries," Xi said. China itself had helped save a great number of lives from COVID-19 around the world with concrete actions," Xi said, pointing to the export of 209,000 ventilators, 1.4 billion protective suits and 151.5 billion masks.