Ibrahim Abubakar, a professor of infectious diseases at the University College London, says there will be another pandemic, and it will not be 100 years from now.
Mr Abubakar said this at a meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council in New York. He said it was not a question of if, but when, adding that the answer was sooner than anyone wants.
The professor said this was because the global healthcare system remained drastically isolated. He noted that a pandemic could not be stopped by one country alone, adding that effective partnerships could stop the next pandemic
“Infectious diseases will not respect borders,” Mr Abubakar warned.
He said it was therefore expedient that health systems, to ensure equity, dignity, and universal access, must also be agile to implement policies across borders.
The infectious diseases expert noted that stopping pandemics and promoting broader global development required robust partnerships and consistent investment in multilateral systems, not just as an ideal, but as a practice.
Mr Abubakar noted that member states have recently adopted a pandemic prevention treaty, which endeavors to limit the likelihood of future pandemics.
Lok Bahadur Thapa, vice-president of ECOSOC, said that if the council were to meet the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda, it must reimagine cooperation.
The ECOSOC vice-president said that cooperation must not be seen as a transactional action, but rather as a dynamic, inclusive, and future-ready partnership.
Meanwhile, the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is convening at the UN headquarters in New York to discuss progress.
Delegates will also discuss progress towards the globally agreed 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
The first 16 SDGs address specific aspects of development, such as poverty, gender equality, and climate change; however, the 17th SDG outlines a path to achieve the others.
This path lies in embracing global partnerships between state governments, civil society organisations, communities, and the private sector.
(NAN)