Thousands of lives at risk in next major pandemic unless WHO reforms: UN report

"This may be the last opportunity to ensure the WHO isempowered" to build an effective emergency response capacity,warned an advance, unedited copy of the UNpanel's report,made available online over the weekend in a link on the UnitedNations' daily Journal website.

"If the WHO does not successfully reform, the next majorpandemic will cause thousands of otherwise preventable deaths."

The UNreport, entitled "Protecting Humanity from FutureHealth Crises", is the latest in a series of reviews by globalhealth experts which have been sharply critical of the WHO'sresponse to the devastating Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

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With all eyes now focused on the response to themosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been reported in 33countries and is linked to birth defects, the agency is undereven more scrutiny. WHO chiefs have previously promised to actswiftly on reforming the agency's emergency responses.

It was not immediately clear when the final report will bepublished.

Nosubstitute for single global health leader

The UN panel's key recommendation was for the WHO to builda new Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, which"must have real command and control capability, access tospecialised human and operational resources to execute a healthresponse."

Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust global healthcharity, agreed with the panel's recommendation for the creationof a new centre, which he said must be "strong and independent."

"After four inquiries into the preventable tragedy of Ebola,there is now a strong consensus about what must be done.

TheWHO's leadership and member states must make 2016 the year ofdecision and act now."

But failure by the Geneva-based WHO to reform, it said, "maynecessitate consideration of alternate UN institutional responsemechanisms."

"Had they been implemented, thousands of lives could havebeen saved in West Africa," it said.