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Tedros Adhanom GhebreyesusExecutive Director. who (WHO) urges each country todisease x. ”
Addressing attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ghebreyesus expressed the desire for countries to conclude a pandemic agreement to fight this “common enemy” by May.
'Disease X' describes an unidentified virus that could theoretically be 20 times more deadly, scientists have warned. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection).
Mr. Ghebreyesus identified COVID-19 as the first example of Disease X and emphasized the importance of preparing for future pandemics.
“Unknown things can happen, and what happens is a matter of when, not if. So we have alternatives for that, diseases we don't know about. We need to,” Ghebreyesus said.
He reflected on the losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which he blamed on mismanagement. “We could have saved them, but we didn't have the space. We didn't have enough oxygen. So how do we build a system that can scale when we need it?” he asked. .
The consequences of being unprepared for a disease of this magnitude could be devastating, potentially surpassing the devastation caused by COVID-19, which has claimed more than 7 million lives, according to the WHO.
What is “Disease X”?
Addressing attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ghebreyesus expressed the desire for countries to conclude a pandemic agreement to fight this “common enemy” by May.
'Disease X' describes an unidentified virus that could theoretically be 20 times more deadly, scientists have warned. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection).
Mr. Ghebreyesus identified COVID-19 as the first example of Disease X and emphasized the importance of preparing for future pandemics.
“Unknown things can happen, and what happens is a matter of when, not if. So we have alternatives for that, diseases we don't know about. We need to,” Ghebreyesus said.
He reflected on the losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which he blamed on mismanagement. “We could have saved them, but we didn't have the space. We didn't have enough oxygen. So how do we build a system that can scale when we need it?” he asked. .
The consequences of being unprepared for a disease of this magnitude could be devastating, potentially surpassing the devastation caused by COVID-19, which has claimed more than 7 million lives, according to the WHO.
What is “Disease X”?
- “Disease
- WHO adopted placeholder names to ensure that the plan is flexible enough to adapt to unknown pathogens (such as a wide range of vaccines and manufacturing facilities).
- director of
Anthony Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases The concept of Disease It said it would improve WHO's ability to respond. - In 2022, the World Health Organization assembled 300 scientists to scrutinize 25 virus families and bacteria. The gathering aimed to identify pathogens that may cause significant disruption and require further research. Among them, “Disease X” was identified. The term was first coined by the organization in 2018 to refer to unknown pathogens that have the potential to cause serious international outbreaks.
How does “Disease X” manifest?
- Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told CBS News that “Disease X” is expected to manifest as a respiratory virus. Although the virus is already present in animal populations, it may not yet have entered the human host. “It could be bats, like COVID-19, it could be birds, like avian influenza, or it could be other species, like pigs,” he said. explained.
- Zoonoses: Diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans, such as Covid-19, Ebola, SARS, and MERS. These diseases can be transmitted through direct contact, ingestion of animal food, or environmental exposure.
- Antimicrobial resistance: This is the ability of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites to resist the effects of drugs used for treatment. This can lead to infections that are difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of epidemics and pandemics.
- Biotechnology: This is the use of living organisms or their components to create or modify products or processes. Although biotechnology has many benefits, it also carries the risk of accidental or intentional release of harmful substances, such as genetically modified organisms, synthetic viruses, and biological weapons.
- Climate change: This is a long-term change in the Earth's climate due to natural or anthropogenic factors. Climate change will affect the distribution and transmission of diseases such as vector-borne diseases (e.g. malaria, dengue, Zika), waterborne diseases (e.g. cholera, typhoid, hepatitis), and respiratory diseases (e.g. asthma, allergies) There is a possibility. ,influenza).
What preparations do I need?
- To prepare for “Disease X,” WHO and other stakeholders have suggested several strategies, including:
- Strengthening surveillance and response systems: This includes improving the detection, reporting, and investigation of disease outbreaks, as well as improving coordination and communication between different stakeholders and sectors.
- Vaccine and therapeutic development and deployment: This includes accelerating research and development of safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics against potential pathogens and ensuring their fair and timely distribution and access. .
- Strengthening public health measures: This includes implementing and strengthening measures to prevent and control the spread of disease, such as hygiene, isolation, quarantine, contact tracing, social distancing, and wearing masks. Masu.
- Building resilience and preparedness: This includes the capacity of individuals, communities, and health systems to cope with and recover from disease outbreaks, as well as to address social, economic, and environmental factors that impact health. and strengthen preparedness.
(Information provided by agency)
