Growing distrust in science, geopolitical fragmentation, and weakening international cooperation are eroding global pandemic preparedness at a moment when infectious disease outbreaks are becoming deadlier and more frequent, according to a new report from the World Health Organization-backed Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB). The independent body, which tracks health crisis readiness worldwide, warns that societies have emerged from recent health emergencies “poorer, more unequal, and more divided,” undermining the collective response capacity needed to contain future threats.
WHO-Detected Health Emergency Events on the Rise
Annual count of events detected globally, 2015–2024
detected in 2015
detected in 2024
Ebola in Central Africa
Source: World Health Organization, 2026 | Georgian Medical Journal News
Outbreaks Accelerating Amid Declining Trust in Health Systems
The warning emerges as WHO investigates multiple concurrent outbreaks across Africa and Asia. A rare strain of Bundibugyo Ebola virus, distinct from the more widely known Zaire strain, has killed more than 100 people in Central Africa with no licensed vaccine available. Simultaneously, hantavirus cases have resurged in multiple regions, signalling a pattern of emerging and re-emerging threats that public health systems are increasingly ill-equipped to contain.
The GPMB report, published by the World Health Organization in 2026, documents a sharp disconnect between detected outbreaks and institutional capacity. While faster diagnostic and surveillance technology has improved early detection—potentially reducing the proportion of small outbreaks that spiral into epidemics—the underlying vulnerabilities in global health security remain unaddressed. See our coverage of global health emergencies for more context.
Vaccine Inequality and Diagnostic Gaps Widen Access Divide
The GPMB highlighted a troubling reversal in equitable access to life-saving tools. According to the report, the world is “moving backwards” in the distribution of diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics—a pattern that disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, wealthier nations secured vaccine supplies while many African and South Asian countries remained dependent on uncertain international transfers, a dynamic that persists today.
This inequality is compounded by eroding trust in science and public health institutions, the board warned. In some regions, vaccine hesitancy, misinformation campaigns, and politicization of health measures have degraded immunization coverage. Attacks on epidemiologists, health workers, and research infrastructure have become more frequent, undermining the collaborative networks essential for outbreak response. The National Institutes of Health has documented similar trends in surveillance funding and laboratory capacity across partner countries.
Geopolitical Fragmentation Erodes Pandemic Preparedness Architecture
Beyond biological threats, the GPMB identified geopolitical breakdown as a critical vulnerability. International coordination on disease surveillance, data sharing, and resource mobilization has weakened considerably since 2020. Nations increasingly prioritize domestic interests over collective pandemic preparedness, reducing the speed and scale of coordinated response. Visit our Health Policy section for analysis of governance and preparedness frameworks.
The board called for urgent investment in resilient health systems, equitable vaccine manufacturing capacity in all regions, and restoration of trust in science-based public health. Without action, the report warns, the interval between outbreaks will narrow and their severity will increase, creating a cascading cycle of crisis response without prevention.
“The world is moving backwards in equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics at a time when health emergency events are nearly twice as frequent as a decade ago.”
— Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, World Health Organization (2026)
Key takeaways
- WHO detected nearly twice as many health emergency events in 2024 as in 2015, indicating accelerating outbreak frequency.
- Vaccine and diagnostic inequality has worsened, with low-income countries facing persistent access barriers during concurrent outbreaks.
- Declining trust in science, geopolitical fragmentation, and attacks on health workers are undermining international pandemic preparedness networks.
- The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Central Africa demonstrates the lethal potential of outbreaks without available vaccines or robust containment capacity.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board and why does its warning matter?
The GPMB is an independent body established by the World Health Organization and the World Bank to assess global readiness for health crises. Its 2026 report synthesizes data on outbreak frequency, vaccine coverage, health system capacity, and trust in institutions. When the GPMB identifies systemic weaknesses—as it has now—it typically triggers policy reviews at national and international levels.
Is Bundibugyo Ebola as dangerous as previous Ebola outbreaks?
Bundibugyo is a distinct Ebola species with limited epidemiological data compared to Zaire Ebola, which caused the 2014–2016 West African epidemic. The current outbreak’s lack of a licensed vaccine makes containment more difficult, though case-fatality rates and transmission patterns are still being documented. Early isolation and supportive care remain critical control measures.
Why has hantavirus re-emerged as a threat?
Hantavirus transmission is driven by rodent population dynamics, environmental conditions, and human encroachment into wildlife habitats. Climate change, agricultural shifts, and urbanization are altering the geographic and seasonal distribution of hantavirus-carrying rodent species, expanding human exposure risk in regions previously unaffected.
The GPMB’s 2026 report serves as a call to action for governments, international organizations, and donors to reverse the trajectory of pandemic preparedness decline. Without renewed investment in health system resilience, equitable access to vaccines and diagnostics, and restoration of public trust in science, the world will face increasingly frequent and severe outbreaks with limited capacity to respond effectively. The question is no longer whether the next pandemic will occur, but whether the world will be ready when it does.
