GPMB Warns World Is Less Prepared for Next Pandemic Than in 2019 as Outbreaks Intensify
Updated
Updated · Forbes · May 18
GPMB Warns World Is Less Prepared for Next Pandemic Than in 2019 as Outbreaks Intensify
12 articles · Updated · Forbes · May 18
A WHO-backed Global Preparedness Monitoring Board report said another pandemic could hit a world more divided, more indebted and less able to protect people than a decade ago, despite having more tools and knowledge.
The board tied that deterioration to declining investment in health research, prevention and preparedness, with eroding trust and equity flagged as its No. 1 concern as outbreaks grow more frequent, deadlier and more economically damaging.
Funding strains are already visible: the Trump administration recently redirected $2 billion in global health money, and outside analysis said the cut could contribute to 121,000 preventable tuberculosis deaths and at least 47,600 malaria deaths.
The warning lands after a cruise-ship hantavirus outbreak killed 3 people and triggered tracing across several countries, while WHO on Saturday labeled the latest DRC Ebola outbreak an extraordinary emergency—the country's 17th in 50 years.
The board urged leaders to set up independent pandemic-risk monitoring, guarantee equitable access to countermeasures and create durable financing that is not renegotiated every year.
Are climate change and conflict creating outbreaks that global health systems can no longer contain?
Why is vaccine equity worsening for new outbreaks despite our advanced medical technology?
Who owns a deadly pathogen: the nation where it emerges or the world it threatens?
Global Pandemic Preparedness in Crisis: Lessons from the 2026 Ebola Outbreak and the GPMB’s Warning of Worsening Vulnerability
Overview
In May 2026, a rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo and quickly spread to Uganda, leading to at least 65 deaths and hundreds of suspected cases. The World Health Organization declared this outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, urging countries to prepare for further spread and share vital resources like vaccines and treatments. This crisis highlights ongoing challenges in global pandemic preparedness, including difficulties in containment, limited access to medical interventions, and the urgent need for stronger international cooperation to prevent future outbreaks from escalating.