Six years after COVID-19’s global alarm: Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic? (WHO, 2 February 2026)

Summary

Six years ago, the Director-General of the World Health Organization sounded the highest global alarm available under international law at the time, declaring the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease (later known as COVID-19) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). While the PHEIC was declared over in May 2023, the impact of COVID-19 remains etched in our collective memory – and continues to be felt worldwide.

As we cross this six-year mark, WHO asks countries and partners, just as we ask ourselves: Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic?