Realitarakyat. com – The World Health Organization (WHO) is now starting to make preventive efforts against the threat of another epidemic in the future, after the Covid-19 has ravaged the world for the past three years.
This was announced by WHO, which recently published a list of priority pathogens that could become outbreaks in the future. The list is obtained through various scientific processes which are continuously updated.
As quoted by the official WHO website on Saturday (26/11/2022), as many as 300 scientists were involved in the inaugural meeting which was held on 18 November. Scientists will consider evidence from more than 25 families of viruses and bacteria, as well as ‘Disease X’.
Disease X is included to indicate a pathogen that is unknown but may cause a major international epidemic. Experts will recommend a priority list of pathogens that require further research and investment.
The process includes both scientific and public health criteria. Criteria related to socio-economic impact, access and equity are also included.
The list of pathogens that could cause future epidemics is not new. This list was first published in 2017 and the last priority exercise was conducted in 2018.
The current list includes Covid-19, Crimean-Cong haemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease, Lassa fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Nipah disease and henipavirus, Rift Valley fever, Zika and disease X.
“This is essential for a rapid and effective response to epidemics and pandemics. Without significant investment in research and development prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it would not have been possible to develop a safe and effective vaccine in the short term,” said WHO Health Emergencies Program Executive Director Michael Ryan. )
