"The next pandemic could be imminent", warns the Red Cross

The world remains “dangerously unprepared” for the next pandemic, the Red Cross warned on Monday, especially as future health crises are likely to occur alongside natural disasters linked to climate change. Strong prevention and preparedness systems are still “seriously lacking” despite weaknesses revealed by three years of the Covid-19 pandemic, says the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). ).

Thus, the humanitarian network highlights the increase in climate-related natural disasters and waves of epidemics during this century, of which Covid-19 is just one example. For the Red Cross, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense, “and our ability to respond to them is limited”.

“The Covid-19 pandemic should be a wake-up call for the global community to prepare now for the next health crisis,” urged IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain. “The next pandemic could be imminent and if the experience of Covid-19 does not accelerate preparations, what will? he wondered. In a report, his organization insists that these crises hit those who are already vulnerable the most and that leaving the poorest exposed is “self-defeating” because a disease can return in a more dangerous form. It is also “corrosive to society”.

The IFRC believes that if people trusted the safety messages, they would be willing to comply with public health measures and also accept vaccination. And insists that trust is built over time, a process that cannot wait until the crisis is already here. If trust is weakened, it is politicization and individualism that prevail, as the pandemic has shown, underlines the organization.

Moreover, the pandemic may have exacerbated existing inequalities, with poor sanitation, overcrowding, lack of access to health and social services and malnutrition. These are all conditions conducive to the spread of disease. “The world needs to address health and socio-economic vulnerabilities well before the next crisis hits,” recommended the organization, which advises relying on local communities.