By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, has warned that pandemics will return just like we saw with Ebola and Covid-19, stating “100%, It’s just a matter of time, they will come back”.
He stated on TV3’s Hot Issues on Sunday, February 1, 2026, that Africa is prepared whenever another pandemic strikes.
According to him, the WHO is building local capacity in countries like Ghana, training teams to respond to outbreaks without relying on external help.
Dr. Janabi emphasized the importance of empowering local teams, saying “We are building search teams, we come to Ghana, we train people. We do everything so that when it happens, you don’t have to call people from outside.”
This approach has been successful in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia, which have effectively managed outbreaks with minimal external support.
“They did it themselves. We just went there, put some technical stuff there just to help. You know very well not to give people the fish but to give them the fishing rod. We are ready because I’m telling you, the pandemics will come”, he noted.
The WHO’s goal is to equip African countries with the necessary skills and resources to handle pandemics independently. Dr. Janabi’s vision is centered around earlier detection, more resilient primary health care and regional manufacturing.
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Source:
www.gbcghanaonline.com