Bill Gates calls for stronger international efforts to prepare for next pandemic

Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates shakes hands with South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo during their meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022 (Kim Hong-ji/AP/PA)

Bill Gates has called for South Korea to further step up in international efforts to prevent infectious diseases such as Covid-19 as he stressed the need for the world to be better prepared for the next pandemic.

Speaking to South Korean politicians in Seoul, Microsoft founder Mr Gates called for stronger international cooperation, including efforts to develop vaccines that would be effective for a broader range of coronaviruses, to navigate what he described as a “crisis moment” in global health.