The head of the World Health Organization has called for the launch of negotiations this year on an international treaty to boost pandemic preparedness, as part of sweeping reforms envisioned by member states.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told its annual ministerial assembly that the United Nations agency faced a "serious challenge" to maintain its Covid-19 response at the current level and required sustainable and flexible funding.
Earlier in the day - the last of the week-long assembly - health ministers agreed to study recommendations for ambitious reforms made by independent experts to strengthen the capacity of both the WHO and countries to contain new viruses.