IPPPR warns of risk of a new global health crisis — The National

The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR) stated that the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic have still not been systematically integrated into global health programmes. According to experts, this leaves the world vulnerable to the spread of viruses and outbreaks of infectious diseases, The National reports.

In its report, Hiding in Plain Sight: Mpox and the Cost of Neglecting Known Threats, the panel links the spread of mpox to a lack of preparedness and investment in community resilience. In the first nine months of 2026, more than 14,000 confirmed mpox cases and 50 deaths were recorded in over 82 countries. The target of vaccinating 6.4 million people in Africa was not achieved.

Outbreaks in Africa and Asia

Experts also drew attention to the Ebola situation in Central Africa. According to the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as of 29 October, 10,351 confirmed cases and 5,340 deaths had been recorded during the current outbreak. The article notes that porous borders between the DRC, Uganda and Rwanda contribute to the spread of the virus.

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According to health authorities, local Ebola outbreaks in Africa have received insufficient investment in epidemiological surveillance, research, public health systems and necessary supplies, including vaccines. Meanwhile, a dengue fever outbreak is continuing in Bangladesh: as of 30 October, the disease had claimed 418 lives and led to more than 133,000 hospitalisations, according to the country's Ministry of Health. More than 1,200 deaths from measles have also been reported.

Trust in the healthcare system

Global health security expert Helen Clark stressed that sporadic diseases with epidemic potential must not be ignored. World Neighbours President Tim Prewitt, in turn, said that communities had lost trust in health authorities after the Covid-19 pandemic, while disinformation in the DRC complicates the response to Ebola.

The World Health Organization reports that since 30 January 2020, the world has been in a public health emergency for approximately 70% of the time. In October, representatives of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, together with the WHO, held an exercise in Riyadh to respond to a simulated disease outbreak.