How to end the pandemic — and prepare for the next

Maria Van Kerkhove|TEDWomen 2021 (Ted.com)

We will get out of this pandemic, says Maria Van Kerkhove, the COVID-19 Technical Lead of the World Health Organization (WHO). The question is how fast — and if we’ll take what we’ve learned from the past two years and apply it to the next emerging pathogen. In conversation with TED current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, Van Kerkhove provides insights on the Omicron variant, details a pandemic preparedness protocol under development at WHO and shares what we all can do to bring the pandemic to a speedy end. “Remain vigilant,” Van Kerkhove says. “Everything you do … will either get us closer to ending this pandemic — or it will prolong it.” (This conversation was recorded on December 3, 2021.)

This talk was presented at an official TED conference, and was featured by our editors on the home page.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Maria Van Kerkhove · Infectious disease epidemiologistDr. Maria Van Kerkhove is the COVID-19 Technical Lead of the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as the Head of the Emerging Diseases and Zoonoses Unit in the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.

Whitney Pennington Rodgers · TED current affairs curatorWhitney Pennington Rodgers is an award-winning journalist and media professional.

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