WHO Sets Strategy for Managing Coronavirus Threats

The World Health Organization outlined a new global strategy to manage coronavirus disease threats through 2030, marking a shift from emergency COVID-19 measures to long-term, integrated infectious-disease management. The plan consolidates approaches for COVID-19, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and potential new coronavirus diseases, offering governments a framework to strengthen preparedness while managing ongoing transmission.

The strategy is based on lessons from five years of COVID-19 response and ongoing work on MERS and other respiratory pathogens. It positions coronavirus disease management within broader national health programs to improve coherence across prevention, surveillance, and response efforts. WHO says that despite reduced global impact compared to the pandemic peak, SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate widely, with severe disease and deaths concentrated among high-risk groups.

Global data show that around 6% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 develop Post COVID-19 Condition, and 15% of those individuals experience symptoms for more than a year. Several regions have reported increases in virus activity, and uncertainties remain regarding viral evolution and long-term health impacts. These factors, WHO says, reinforce the need for health systems to sustain capacity for both routine and emergency situations.

Maria Van Kerkhove, Acting Director for Epidemic and Pandemic Management, WHO, says coronaviruses remain among the most significant infectious threats and emphasizes the importance of integrating their management into established respiratory-disease programs, including influenza. She encourages countries to align national actions with the organization’s strategic directions to improve resilience and readiness.

The plan reflects input from Member States, technical partners, and communities to ensure alignment with diverse health-system realities. It covers routine operations and the rapid response required should a new coronavirus with pandemic potential emerge.

WHO also expanded its Coronavirus Network (CoViNet), which supports surveillance and laboratory analysis for SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, and emerging coronaviruses. The network now includes 45 national reference laboratories across human, animal, and environmental sectors, with 11 laboratories added in 2025. CoViNet complements the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, which continues sentinel monitoring, including for SARS-CoV-2.

The organization said the new strategy is designed to guide countries as they transition from crisis response to sustained management while ensuring readiness for future outbreaks.

Mexico Strengthens Pandemic Preparedness

Mexico recently received US$25 million from the Pandemic Fund’s third financing round to strengthen national and cross-border preparedness systems, according to the Ministry of Health. The allocation positions the country to advance early-warning, surveillance, and detection capabilities under the One Health framework, a model that integrates human, animal, and environmental health.

“Preparedness financing still falls short of what is needed, but our country-led, collaborative, and catalytic approach is working, embedding preparedness within national systems and ensuring lasting ownership rather than short-term, crisis-driven responses,” says Priya Basu, Executive Head, Pandemic Fund.

The Pandemic Fund is a multilateral financing mechanism created to support efforts to prevent, prepare, for and respond to pandemics at local, regional and global levels, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. It offers long-term funding dedicated to areas such as disease surveillance, laboratory infrastructure, and workforce development, aiming to help countries detect emerging threats early and reduce the risk of widespread outbreaks.

“Investing in preparedness translates to economic resilience, as well as long-term protection of communities and health systems,” says WHO.

The funding will support Mexico’s plan to modernize epidemiological information systems, expand diagnostic capacity, and reinforce its laboratory network. The strategy includes dedicating resources to enhance rapid-response capabilities for new health threats and to provide multi-sectoral training in One Health. One Health is a coordinated approach that seeks to sustainably balance and improve the health of people, animals, and the environment. Authorities said the investment will prioritize border regions, where coordinated action is considered essential for preventing the spread of infectious threats.