Six years after COVID-19’s global alarm: Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic?
WHO
February 2, 2026
Six years ago, the Director-General of the World Health Organization sounded the highest global alarm available under international law at the time, declaring the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease (later known as COVID-19) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). While the PHEIC was declared over in May 2023, the impact of COVID-19 remains etched in our collective memory – and continues to be felt worldwide.
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Originally published on WHO on 2/2/2026