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STORY: How prepared is the world for future pandemics?

The Red Cross says it's "dangerously unprepared"

A new report published by the International Federation

of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

calls on countries to update

their preparedness by year-end

(Jagan Chapagain, Secretary general of the IFRC)

“Most countries were unprepared for COVID-19, and today, many countries still remain unprepared for any future outbreak. There will be no excuse for a continued lack of preparedness after having gone through three terrible years. We know preparedness saves lives.”

The World Disasters Report 2022

recommends several measures for countries

including boosting global health

finances by at least $15 billion a year

“Friends, the next pandemic could be just around the corner. Hopefully, it’s not, but we don’t know. We didn’t know three years ago that it was just next door. And it hit us very, very fast, and it spread around the world rapidly, as we know. And if the experience of COVID-19 won't quicken our steps toward preparedness, what will?”