A damning report into the Covid-19 pandemic commissioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has concluded that the global disaster could have been avoided. Panel co-chair and former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said the current system had "failed to protect us from the Covid-19 pandemic. And the report warned that the world needed an international system "fast" to stop future disease outbreaks from becoming "catastrophic pandemics". It said that even as countries continue to battle Covid crises, a "new pathogen with pandemic potential could emerge at any time". It should be ready to disburse US$50-100b at short notice by front-loading future commitments in the event of a pandemic.

Source: New Zealand Herald May 12, 2021 17:26 UTC