(Karachi) World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said the world should be better prepared for the next pandemic, urging the countries to invest in public health.

"This will not be the last pandemic," Tedros told a news briefing in Geneva.

He added, "History teaches us that outbreaks and pandemics are a fact of life. But when the next pandemic comes, the world must be ready – more ready than it was this time."

In its new recommendation, WHO said that several studies have confirmed the effectiveness of corticosteroids in the treatment of severe cases of Covid-19.

The health body stated that researches confirmed the effectiveness of corticosteroids like dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, and methylprednisolone in treating Covid-19 critically ill patients. "These treatments lower the immune response reducing the risk of cytokines' storm," it said.

New cases of the novel coronavirus that emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late December are being reported daily around the world.

More than 889,000 people have died from COVID-19, while over 27.1 million infections have been confirmed in at least 188 countries and territories. More than 18.1 million people have recovered to date.