May 19, 2026 | 03:04 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB), an independent organization formed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, warns that infectious disease outbreaks are occurring more frequently worldwide and are having an increasingly greater impact on various aspects of life.In its latest report on pandemic preparedness released on Monday, May 18, 2026, the GPMB stated that the world is not safer than it was several years ago. According to the report, the increased frequency of outbreaks now has an extensive impact on not only the health sector but also the global economy, politics, and society as a whole."As infectious disease outbreaks become more frequent they are also becoming more damaging, with widening health, economic, political and social impacts, and less capacity to recover from them," the report states.The GPMB was formed after the major Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2013 to 2016, which claimed the lives of thousands and triggered criticism of the world's readiness to face a global health crisis. However, according to the board, the investments and reforms made over the last decade have been insufficient to address the evolving pandemic threats.The report highlights that the surge in global funding during the COVID-19 pandemic did not continue in the long term. After the pandemic subsided, development assistance for the health sector decreased to nearly 2009 levels. Its proportion of overall international development assistance continued to decline.In addition to warning about funding, the GPMB also calls for the creation of a permanent, independent monitoring mechanism that will evaluate the world's readiness for the next pandemic. According to the board, stronger global oversight is needed to prevent countries from becoming complacent again after the crisis subsides.The report emphasizes the importance of equitable access to vaccines, testing equipment, and essential treatments. This access could be achieved through a global pandemic agreement currently being discussed by various WHO member countries.This warning comes as the WHO declared a public health emergency on Sunday, May 17, 2026, after more than 250 suspected cases and at least 80 deaths related to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.The WHO mentioned that the recent outbreak was caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a different type from the Zaire strain that triggered a major epidemic in West Africa a decade ago. To date, the WHO has not declared the outbreak a global pandemic, but it warns that the risk of cross-border spread must still be monitored.Read: WHO Declares International Emergency over Ebola OutbreakClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
