The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for healthcare systems and economies worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has played a critical role in responding to this crisis, providing guidance on prevention, testing, treatment, and vaccination strategies. This presentation will provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities that the pandemic has presented from the WHO perspective. The challenges include varied level of alert, detect and response capacities of countries, the rapid spread of the virus, surge of severe cases and deaths overwhelming health care system, shortages of medical supplies and equipment, infodemic and the emergence of new variants. Despite these challenges, the pandemic has also created opportunities for innovation and collaboration, such as the development of new diagnostic tests and vaccines, and the sharing of knowledge and expertise among countries. This presentation will highlight the key lessons learned from the pandemic and the ongoing efforts by the WHO and its partners to prepare for and mitigate the impact of future emerging and re-emerging infections on global health and economies.
