Gates told the Lowy Institute think-tank in Sydney, Australia on Monday that political leaders need to settle their differences and work together to prepare for the next virus, according to Canadatoday.
Tech billionaire Bill Gates has warned Australia to be prepared for the next pandemic, saying it will be man-made
He called for greater global cooperation, citing the Covid-19 pandemic as an example of how countries could improve their response if they worked together
“Compare the economic cost of preparing for the next to the cost of this, over $10 trillion in economic loss,” he said.
The Microsoft founder-turned-philanthropist said a stable international order based on mutual political will was needed to deal with future pandemics.
“The only thing that is still hanging in the balance is whether we have the global capacity and at the regional and national level, which would mean that if there is a threat (from infectious diseases), we act in a way that does not make it global”, Gates noted.
“We need to have a comprehensive pandemic preparedness exercise every five years at both the national and regional levels, and you need a global group to assess every one.”
He criticized the United States, led by Donald Trump, for threatening to withdraw from the World Health Organization and withholding funding.
AMK/PR
04:48 - 2023/03/27
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