By Carlos Mureithi
Publication Date: 2026-05-21 09:00:00
AAbout a dozen people sat around a meeting table at the World Health Organization (WHO) emergency operations center just outside Nairobi last Thursday, their eyes glued to an animated presentation on a screen.
Health workers in eastern Chad have reported several deaths of patients with respiratory failure, it said. Initial samples indicate a new variant of bird flu, but the samples must be sent to a foreign laboratory for confirmation. International health regulations require reporting within 24 hours of assessment, but Chad’s government is reluctant to notify the WHO for fear of economic repercussions and stigma.
It’s a hypothetical pandemic outbreak, and the people at the table include some of the continent’s most revered figures: members of the Elders, a group of former presidents and world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007 with the idea of using their collective wisdom to address global crises.
