Sri Lanka, April 20 -- If there is one thing we learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, which engulfed the world five years ago, it is that the next pandemic is a matter of when, not if. Thousands of Covid-like viruses are lurking in animals, waiting for an opportunity to "jump" to humans (hence the term zoonotic disease). Climate factors, biodiversity loss and the illegal and legal trade in wildlife are all contributory factors, along with increased travel.

Covid-19 was a bad experience from the point of view of the Global South, which was denied access to life-saving vaccines and medications as the First World hogged all such resources for at least one year. The rich countries were also loathe to transfer to the Global South the technology...