Ebola, hantavirus show world’s risk preparedness lagging: Pandemic expert
Pandemic expert Helen Clark has highlighted the ongoing gaps in global preparedness for outbreaks like Ebola and hantavirus. While responses to recent health crises have improved, she emphasizes the need for better risk awareness and surveillance. Clark calls for increased investment in health systems, particularly in poorer countries, to prevent future outbreaks.
- ▪Helen Clark, co-chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, noted that awareness of pandemic risks still lags despite improved responses to health crises.
- ▪The recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship demonstrate the need for better risk-informed preparedness.
- ▪Clark emphasized that global solidarity and investment in health systems are crucial for effective pandemic response.
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Ebola, hantavirus show world’s risk preparedness lagging: Pandemic expertSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxMs Helen Clark, co-chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, speaks during a session on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly in Geneva on May 19.PHOTO: AFPPublished May 20, 2026, 02:30 PMUpdated May 20, 2026, 02:30 PMGENEVA – The deadly hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks show that while the response to declared public health crises has improved, awareness of pandemic risks still lags, a leading pandemic expert warned on May 19.Over six years after the World Health Organization declared the Covid-19 pandemic, global efforts to revamp public health crisis response have improved the reaction to the hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks,…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.