Last week , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) range a two - mean solar day pandemic readiness exercise dubbed Exercise Polaris . The exercise was the first mental test for a new global coordination mechanics to tackle health pinch and simulated an irruption of a fictional viral disease .

When COVID-19 was declared a pandemicfive years ago , it sometimes felt like we ’d been caught on the back foot . Amid the scrambling over lockdowns , masks , and quarantine orders , those of us not working at the highest degree of governance could be forgiven for recall it all looked a bit … disorderly .

And in many ways , it was – no two diseasesare exactly the same , and a coronavirus pandemic was different , in important way , from anything else we ’d face in life memory . There were bound to be some stumble .

But before you lose all promise in your elect representatives , that ’s not to say there had beennopreparation prior to COVID . Pandemics are just one potential threat to their citizen that governments must be cognisant of and , just like for terrorist attacks ornatural disaster , theyplanfor how they might handle them .

The WHO , as a global delegacy , aims to impart together multiple countries and wellness soundbox throughout the earth to climb a align reply in the event ofanother worldwide health emergency . Exercise Polaris was a way of examination that .

There were over 15 countries need in or maintain the exercise include Canada , Denmark , Germany , Nepal , Pakistan , and Ukraine . Regional and global health delegacy , including Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ( Africa CDC ) and UNICEF , also took part , a cumulative totality of over 350 planetary health expert .

“ The exercise seek to put into practice session the procedures for inter - agency reaction to international health threat , ” said Dr Mariela Marín , Vice Minister of Health of Costa Rica , in astatement . “ effective coordination and interoperability process are central to warrant timely interventions in health pinch . ”

During the faux scenario , each participating land head its own local response while being capable to call upon the WHO for technical assistance , emergency support , and to align efforts with other land .

arrive out of the exercise , it ’s bonny to say the reaction was optimistic .

“ Polaris demonstrated the critical importance of cultivating trust before a crisis occurs . The foundation of our collaborative efforts is significantly hard than in years preceding . We ’ve moved beyond reactive measures , and are now proactively promise , aligning , and coordinating our ill-tempered - border emergency response plans , ” commented Dr Soha Albayat from Qatar , one of the take part nations .

Nobody get it on where thenext pandemicwill descend from . People are closely watchingH5N1 bird flufor any signs of homo - to - humanspread – it has n’t been seen yet , but it would be a strong indicator of a virus with pandemic electric potential . Another coronaviruscan’t be discounted either .

Of course , it might not be a virus at all . So - calledDisease Xcould be afungalor bacterial pathogen – a theory some argue is beingoverlooked , despite the blaring alarum bells ofantimicrobial resistance .

While we ca n’t say with any certaintywhatthe next pandemic might look like , we do have it off it will get along . The message from Exercise Polaris is that when it does , we ’ll stand our best chance if we meet it together as a global community .

“ No country can face the next pandemic alone , ” say WHO Director - General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus . “ Exercise Polaris shows that worldwide cooperation is not only potential – it is essential . ”