Preparations for tackling the next pandemic are missing their "biggest piece of the puzzle" owing to delays in agreeing to a new treaty on sharing vaccines and medicine, the head of the World Health Organisation said on Monday.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said "crucial issues" remained unresolved months after 194 countries were supposed to agree on a pandemic treaty. He spoke in Berlin as a new risk report was presented, warning there was "every likelihood" of the world being "caught napping" by a disease outbreak, as it was with Covid-19.
Outbreaks of illnesses such as Middle East respiratory syndrome, H5N1 bird flu and the Marburg virus "remind us that the next pandemic is not a question of if, but when", Dr Tedros said in remarks to the World Health Summit.
Negotiators will resume talks on the pandemic treaty next month after missing a May deadline. The target date for the agreement and been revised to 2025. Divisions opened over how far rich countries should be required to share medicine and technology with the Global South, after some rich nations were accused of hoarding Covid-19 vaccine doses.
One treaty proposal that has caused contention would give the WHO access to up to 20 per cent of the vaccine stock, while countries would also commit to a “more equitable” sharing of medicine. The suggestion raised concerns about countries ceding sovereignty to the WHO.
"The biggest remaining piece of the puzzle is the WHO pandemic agreement. Although member states have made progress, some of the most crucial issues have not yet been resolved, but I am confident they will be," Dr Tedros said.
The WHO has said it does not want to dictate national policies and dismissed the suggestion it could order lockdowns or vaccination campaigns as conspiracy theories. The report, by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, said mistrust could hinder any response to a pandemic in the future.
Questions of social trust "have not yet received the sustained policy and scientific attention they deserve", it said. "Lack of trust can drive both the emergence of novel viruses and the amplification of outbreaks, by undermining compliance with control measures and incentivising secrecy rather than transparency."
Countries did agree in May to allow the WHO to declare a "pandemic emergency" as a new highest alert level, but its provisions are not binding. There have also been initiatives on disease monitoring and the development of mRNA vaccines.
"Despite these improvements, made in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is every likelihood that the next pandemic will again catch the world napping, without the readiness plans primed for implementation from day one," the report said.
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, a former president of Croatia and chairwoman of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, told the Berlin summit that the world was "once again entering the phase of neglect in the typical panic-and-neglect cycle".
Although the Covid-19 pandemic was often described as a once-in-a-century health crisis, that "does not mean we can let our guard down for the next 100 years", Ms Grabar-Kitarovic said. "The Covid-19 pandemic has left a deep, lasting impact on societies, much like post-traumatic stress disorder," she added. "The prolonged exposure to uncertainty, loss and trauma has affected mental health and continues to influence behaviours and responses long after the immediate crisis has passed.
"People, governments and organisations are eager to move on from the pandemic. However, this rush to return to normalcy risks leading to complacency – exactly at a time when vigilance is needed most."
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
More on animal trafficking
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
