Another year has passed since the COVID-19 pandemic and a global mpox outbreak (formerly monkeypox). The people of Ethiopia and Ukraine have witnessed the devastation and death caused by war. Ebola struck Uganda, multiple countries experienced cholera outbreaks, and drought and flooding exacerbated malnutrition and disease in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. In Pakistan, severe flooding has put enormous strain on health-care services.
Not to mention the numerous other health threats that people face year after year, including threats from the environment, the products they consume, the conditions in which they live and work, and a lack of access to essential health services.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been significantly reduced this year, the global monkeypox outbreak is winding down, and there have been no Ebola cases in Uganda since November 27.
Each of these emergencies is expected to be declared over at different points next year, according to WHO.
Despite an increase in malaria cases and deaths at the start of the pandemic, additional efforts in prevention, testing, and treatment appear to be paying off, with no further increases in deaths in 2021 and cases increasing at a much slower rate than the previous year.
The World Health Organization has emphasized the importance of learning from this pandemic in order to be better prepared for the next one. The establishment of the new Pandemic Fund in September is a significant step forward. Another example is the establishment of an mRNA Technology Transfer Hub in South Africa to provide low- and lower-middle-income countries with the know-how to rapidly produce their own mRNA vaccines. The third commitment is for countries to negotiate a legally binding agreement on pandemic preparedness and response.