SINGAPORE – The world cannot lapse into complacency or let its attention drift as it edges closer to the next pandemic, said Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung.
Even though the Covid-19 crisis has passed, the risk of another pandemic crisis remains, said Mr Ong, noting that its impact could be even more devastating.
He pointed to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern, as well as hantavirus infections in other regions.
“These are timely reminders that infectious disease threats continue to emerge and evolve,” he said.
Mr Ong was speaking at an event on global pandemic preparedness and response held in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 19.
Organised by the Communicable Diseases Agency Singapore (CDA), the Robert Koch Institute and the WHO, the event was held on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA).
Mr Ong, who is also Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, noted that as modern aviation allows pathogens to spread more quickly, key aviation nodes should “consistently and responsibly” detect novel pathogens, sequence them and share their findings.
Singapore is one such node, he said, adding that a new pathogen detected in the country is likely to rapidly spread across the region and the world.
“What the world can be assured of is this: Singapore will share what we know – freely, quickly and transparently, with no strings attached,” he said.
