Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke at the beginning of a meeting in the intergovernmental working group on the WHO Pandemical Agreement, which took place in Geneva until Friday.
It comes four months after countries adopted the world’s first pandemic treaty, which he called “a generation performance”.
Tedros said the next step “is to bring this historical performance to execution” by completing pathogen access and distribution of distributions (PABS).
He urged the countries to use this week to pave the way to develop the platform with the ultimate goal of adoption next year.
“It is in the interest of each country that this process is not further delayed. Because, as we are all aware of, the next pandemic or great global emergency is not a question of, but when,” he said.
DR Congo: FN and Partners support Ebola -Respons in Kasai -Province
The Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) is facing an ebola outbreak in Kasai Province, located in the southwest, with 35 confirmed cases, including 27 deaths.
The UN and partners support the government in the response, the spokesman of the Secretary General said Monday in New York.
Stéphane Dujarric told journalists that partners working in health have facilitated the delivery of over 350 doses of the Ebola vaccine to the Bulape Health Zone, episent to the outbreak.
“We have also mobilized quick response teams, which focuses on case detection and monitoring, clinical case management, infection and prevention management and risk communication and community commitment,” he added.
Meanwhile, health partners are mobilizing to contain the outbreak.
However, he warned that gaps in medical supplies and logistical capacity prevent the response and urgent financing is needed.
Ukraine: dozens of injuries reported in weekend’s hostilities
Hostilities continued over the weekend in Ukraine, where the Donetsk region in particular affected, the UN office for coordinating humanitarian affairs (OCHA) reported Monday.
More civilians have been killed and 40 wounded in the region since Friday, while local authorities also documented damage to nearly 190 civilian facilities, including homes, schools, a hospital and a pharmacy.
Other parts of Ukraine also experienced hostilities that damaged homes, agricultural land and other civil infrastructure. Nearly 5,000 people remain without electricity in the Zaporizhzhia region.
OCHA said the continued violence has forced more than 2,700 people, including approx. 340 children, to escape from their homes between 12 and 14 September.
