Significant changes are needed on a global scale to not only end the COVID-19 pandemic, but also prevent a future one, the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board said in its annual report released Oct. 26.
GPMB is an international group that examines the world's preparedness for international health crises, according to The Washington Post.
While an estimated 17 million people worldwide have died from COVID-19, "There is scant evidence that we are learning the right lessons from this pandemic," the group said.
Attention to pandemic preparedness — and ambition to enact changes — is already decreasing, GPMB added.
The group is calling on global leaders to adopt an international agreement on health emergency preparedness response to address vaccine inequities and countries' lack of accountability in supporting international health efforts, among other challenges.
"Unless we are able to counteract these destructive trends, our response to the next pandemic is unlikely to be much better," GPMB said.
To view the full report, click here.