The great unknown in the world right now is knowing when the pandemic will end, when will normality return, what will the future be like. The current situation, predicted by many scientists, was unthinkable in the eyes of the general public, who want it to end at once. However, According to Pedro Alonso, director of the WHO World Malaria Program, it will not be eradicated.
He explained that COVID-19, being a disease of animal origin, in a reservoir, and with animal hosts, is impossible. The doctor has emphasized that the definition of eradication “is not standard”, as it could cause certain diseases to stop “being a public health problem.”
He explained it in his speech at the meeting on the eradication of diseases and the role of vaccines, organized by the ‘La Caixa’ Foundation, and in which he has not been alone, but has been accompanied by the director of the ISGlobal Malaria Elimination Initiative, Regina Rabinovich.
The definition of “eradication” and diseases that can
When asked about eradication, with this word, On COVID-19, within the diseases analyzed in the act, Alonso’s opinion has been clear, it is not possible. Both he and Rabinovich agree that there are diseases that are and others that are not.
For example, They put the case of malaria, which could be eradicated, just like polio or measles. “Infectious diseases are not only the only ones that can establish a systemic challenge to human populations as demonstrated by COVID-19, but they continue to determine the evolution of humanity and the poorest sectors”, Reasons Alonso.
For a disease to end up becoming a pandemic, one of the fundamental factors is human mobility, since this is what causes the spread to be greater, on a large scale, and eventually installed globally. Alonso points to some surveillance systems and the ability to provide a “rapid and effective” response as two aspects to use to ensure that the disease is not so dangerous once it develops and spreads.
Rabinovich, for his part, adds the problem that antibiotics and possible resistance can generate, as viruses evolve and become stronger, as has been seen with the coronavirus and strains. Therefore, in this case, he wanted to highlight the role of messenger RNA vaccines, because it is working quite well and could be a very useful technique to “apply to other diseases”.
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