WHO Opening Message for Mastering Immunity 2025 Singapore

“The next pandemic could emerge from anywhere — at any time.”

With this stark reminder, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, addressed the Mastering Immunity 2025 Global Infectious Disease Summit in Singapore on 1 September.

Hosted by ProImmune, the summit gathered experts from around the world to tackle the growing threat of emerging, tropical, and pandemic infectious diseases.

Dr. Tedros highlighted:
• The urgency of preparing for Pathogen X — the unknown threat.
• The importance of prototype pathogen research to understand entire families of viruses.
• The need for geographically diverse, collaborative science.
• Progress on the WHO Pandemic Agreement, which includes binding commitments for R&D and equitable access to vaccines and medical countermeasures.
• The success of the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme in South Africa, now sharing innovation with 15 countries, including Singapore.

Dr. Tedros commended ProImmune for its leadership in convening this global forum — a vital step forward in pandemic preparedness.

The question isn’t if the next pandemic will come. It’s whether we’ll be ready.