Five years on from COVID-19’s determination as a ‘public health emergency of international concern’ (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Australian Institute for Infectious Disease (AIID) is sharing four pivotal lessons learned which are critical to future global health security and greater international cooperation.
The world was simply not ready or prepared for the outbreak of COVID-19. Not in Australia and not anywhere. The system for international cooperation was not fit-for-purpose, and this hampered efforts to prevent, detect and respond. The AIID believes much can be done to prevent and lessen the impacts of inevitable future health crises.
In 2025, the global community is considering how to best strengthen global health systems to better prevent and respond to health emergencies. The AIID supports the Australian Government’s collaboration with the global community, including the WHO in strengthening international frameworks for cooperation, and posits four key lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic:
Lesson 1: Public health emergencies can have catastrophic and long-lasting impacts.
COVID-19 has caused more than 28 million excess deaths globally, reducing life expectancy for the first time in 30 years. The pandemic triggered the fastest economic decline since World War II, with USD 3.3 trillion in economic losses and ongoing productivity challenges. In Australia, COVID-19 continues to drive higher mortality rates and long-term impacts such as a strain on health systems and the growing burden of long COVID. Understanding and acknowledging these impacts is crucial for future pandemic preparations.
Lesson 2: Pandemics exacerbate inequities, which in turn makes pandemics harder to defeat.
The pandemic exposed and amplified health and economic inequities, which had negative consequences for every population in every country. It is therefore not just ethical to prevent infection in all peoples, it is in fact necessary to manage the pandemic more generally. Global interconnectedness fuelled the rapid spread and evolution of both the virus and misinformation, creating perpetual new virus variants and infodemics that persist today. Addressing these challenges requires proactive strategies grounded in prevention and trust-building.
Lesson 3: Pandemic risks are increasing.
Frequent outbreaks of zoonotic diseases, driven by human-animal interactions and climate change, are heightening pandemic risks. Recent examples, such as Mpox outbreaks and the spread of H5N1 Avian Influenza, demonstrate the urgent need for surveillance and preparedness. Climate change also alters disease patterns, further emphasising the importance of environmental management. The greatest risk of pandemics comes from pathogens transmitted through the air. COVID-19 heralded a paradigm shift in our awareness, scientific understanding and responses to airborne threats. Much can be done through “passive preparedness”—improving indoor air quality and our built environments—in much the same way waterborne infections are mitigated.
Lesson 4: International cooperation is essential.
COVID-19 highlighted the necessity of global collaboration for early detection, rapid response, and equitable resource distribution. Open scientific sharing and consistent international approaches are critical to minimising the scale of future health emergencies.
These lessons underscore the need to strengthen global health security, reduce inequities, and foster international collaboration. Through cutting-edge research platforms, groundbreaking innovation and collaboration between our Foundation Partners, the AIID is committed to advancing these aims to protect Australia and the region from the impacts of future health emergencies.
Associate Professor Suman Majumdar, Chief Health Officer, COVID and Health Emergencies from the Burnet Institute said: “The consequences of COVID-19 for global health and the economy were catastrophic and the impacts are ongoing and widening inequity. Pandemics will occur with increasing frequency, brought by climate and environmental change in a complex geopolitical landscape and there is no place for complacency.”
Professor Paul Gorry, Deputy Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity said: “There is no doubt that effective pandemic preparedness builds on the lessons learned from COVID-19, especially the critical role of strong international collaboration. No single nation or institution can tackle such challenges alone. Partnerships across disciplines and borders are indispensable for tackling future threats with pandemic potential.”
Professor James McCluskey, Assistant Vice Chancellor at the University of Melbourne said: “This anniversary is a pertinent reminder that global collaboration, equitable resource sharing and sustained investment in preparedness are essential to addressing the rising threat of pandemics.”
The is a visionary initiative of the University of Melbourne, the Doherty Institute and Burnet Institute (together, known as the Foundation Partners) with backing from the Victorian Government as the Major Supporting Partner. Together, these leading organisations will collaborate to enhance Australia’s capability in infectious disease and public health research to drive greater speed, innovation, equity and sovereign capability in our response to emerging infectious diseases, global health challenges and pandemics.
