The World Health Organisation is to take new steps to be ready for epidemics of new diseases, it announced yesterday.
Its plans include a global health emergency workforce, promising a "rapid and effective" response to outbreaks.
Its proposals emerged after months of soul-searching and criticism of delays in reacting to the west African Ebola epidemic.
It said it would be strengthening International Health Regulations and see to ensure all countries had minimum capacity to comply with these and be prepared for outbreaks.
WHO said world leaders should remain vigilant about new disease threats, calling for a high level of surveillance to prevent another Ebola epidemic.
It called for public-private partnerships and innovative financing to invest in research and development for neglected diseases.
A WHO statement said: "We have learned that new diseases and old diseases in new contexts must be treated with humility and an ability to respond quickly to surprises.
"Greater surge capacity contributes to a flexible response."
The statement went on: "We do not know when the next major outbreak will come or what will cause it. But history tells us it will come. This means investing domestically and internationally in prevention and in essential public health systems for preparedness, surveillance and response."
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