Under the title "Time to Prepare for the Next Pandemic: Shocking Statement from the World Health Organization," the Al Arabiya website reported that Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead at the World Health Organization (WHO) for combating COVID-19, emphasized the real importance of understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic began in order to better prepare for the next one. In an online interview, Kerkhove noted that there are many types of viruses that spread among animals and wildlife, some of which can be transmitted between animals and humans, what is referred to as an indirect event—the most recent example being the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for COVID-19. It is worth mentioning that the coronavirus, which the world is still grappling with, has caused the deaths of at least 4,744,890 people globally since the WHO office in China reported the emergence of the disease at the end of December 2019.
#### Addressing Future Threats
Dr. Kerkhove added that in the context of addressing the threat posed by new disease-causing agents, the WHO and its Director-General have called for the establishment of a scientific advisory entity to research the origins of new pathogens, referred to as SAGO. Dr. Kerkhove stated that the WHO has invited online participation from member states to join the SAGO group, with its mandates and objectives already defined. She confirmed that the invitation is open to all members of the scientific community worldwide to ensure broad participation from scientists and experts with diverse backgrounds in epidemiology, veterinary medicine, social sciences, and biological safety and security, aimed at harnessing global expertise in the new entity.
#### Tasks of the Advisory Entity
As an advisory entity to the WHO, the new group is expected to assist the organization by:
- Establishing a global framework for the organization to define and guide studies on the origins of emerging and re-emerging pathogens in anticipation of any potential outbreak or pandemic.
- Identifying priorities for studies and field investigations into the origins of emerging and re-emerging pathogens regarding the potential spread of pandemics.
- Providing information and opinions to assist the WHO secretariat in developing a detailed action plan for the new advisory body SAGO, particularly in the context of the origins of SARS-CoV-2.
- Supplying the WHO secretariat with an independent assessment of all available scientific and technical findings from global studies on the origins of SARS-CoV-2.
- Advising on the development, monitoring, and support of the next series of studies concerning the origins of SARS-CoV-2.
- Providing additional advice and support to the WHO, upon the request of the SAGO secretariat, which may include participation in future international WHO missions to study the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus or other emerging pathogens.
#### Virtual Meetings
Members of the SAGO group are scheduled to meet regularly, starting from October 2021, either in person or virtually (at the WHO headquarters in Geneva or elsewhere, as determined by the WHO), via video or remote discussions. Smaller working groups (sub-groups stemming from SAGO) are also expected to be established to address specific issues, with reports prepared on the outcomes of each meeting and/or the research of each subgroup, providing consensus recommendations regarding any proposals or issues considered by the advisory entity to be submitted to the WHO secretariat.
