DUBLIN, Ireland - Experts believe the world's next pandemic is already on its way, and they fear it will kill millions more than Covid.

Ireland participated in the United Nations General Assembly's first-ever high-level meeting on pandemic preparedness earlier this week.

World leaders, including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, signed a political declaration calling for increased international collaboration and coordination at the highest political levels to prevent better, prepare for, and respond to pandemics.

The World Health Organization refers to this unknown future threat as 'Disease X,' which is more of a probability than a possibility and could strike at any time.

The WHO has identified Disease X as a top priority for research, alongside known killers like SARS and Ebola.

The Covid pandemic has been described as "one of the most pressing global challenges of our time" by Assembly President Dennis Francis. He emphasized the importance of readiness for future pandemics, saying, "The reality is that we simply lacked preparation and responsiveness."