German Health Minister underscores necessity for 'global reset' to fight future pandemics

Berlin/Washington: German Health Minister Jens Spahn appealed during a meeting of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Wednesday that “the world is still insufficiently prepared for future epidemics and the risks they pose. Therefore, its structure needs to be rebuilt.” As part of the WHO initiative, a new global hub will be set up in Germany for research on future epidemics and diseases. Against this backdrop, the appeal made by the German Minister of Health is noteworthy.

The coronavirus, which originated in China at the end of 2019, has caused havoc worldwide and is still spreading rapidly. More than 150 million covid-19 cases have been detected worldwide, and the number of victims has gone up to 3.2 million. The second and third wave of the pandemic is underway in many major countries of the world. Various new strains of the coronavirus are evolving, creating an atmosphere of concern across the globe. Estimates of its spread in the early days of the outbreak, as well as decisions and plans to combat it, appear to have failed.

Therefore, the new centre will be set up in Germany by the WHO is considered important. According to a meeting on Wednesday, the centre is expected to be operational by the end of this year. The German health minister and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus were present at the meeting. The German health minister warned of a new outbreak, saying it was time to tackle further threats. Health Minister Spahn also claimed that new diseases could reach areas where various epidemics have not yet spread. The WHO chief has also confirmed it and said new diseases and contagious viruses are likely to emerge.

In the meantime, Jamie Metzl, a senior WHO advisor, has strongly criticised China over coronavirus. If China had provided all the sources and information about the virus from the beginning, the epidemic’s origins would have been revealed in just a few months, Metzl said. A few days ago, Metzl wrote an open letter to the WHO with the help of senior experts, urging a full investigation into all possibilities regarding the coronavirus pandemic. The senior WHO advisor castigated China over the issue during an interview.

Reports reveal the global economy is being hit hard because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has reported a 38 % drop in global FDI flows. In 2020, only $846 billion were invested worldwide. The investment is just 1% of global GDP, the lowest since 1999, the OECD said. The OECD report also notes that FDI flows to the European Union have fallen by 70%.