Valuable lessons from the current global pandemic might just change the way we respond in the future
The race is on to see who is better placed to sound the alarm, what will get governments to act and listen, and how we can better predict infectious diseases before they develop into another global threat to public health.
Can we predict emerging diseases like we predict the weather? The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for an effective warning system to signal upcoming disease outbreaks.
It’s an increasingly busy space, with universities, think tanks, governments, and commercial enterprises vying to fill the gap in accurate, reliable, pre-emptive warnings.
But, most alert systems only monitor diseases once they reach animal or human populations. At that point, it can often be too late.
Valuable lessons from the current global pandemic might just change the way we respond in the future.
The race is on to see who is better placed to sound the alarm, what will get governments to act and listen, and how we can better predict infectious diseases before they develop into another global threat to public health.
REALITY CHECK
When the World Health Organization sounded its alarm on an imminent pandemic — the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) — in January 2020, few nations listened to its advice to test and trace.
An independent panel has since released reports aiming to ensure “future infectious disease outbreak[s] would not become another catastrophic pandemic”.
It found: ”Preparations [for pandemics were] inconsistent and underfunded. The alert system was too slow — and too meek.
”The World Health Organization was under-powered …
”Global political leadership was absent.” Work on a global pandemic treaty, a legally binding agreement under international law, is expected to continue until 2024.
It’s hoped the treaty will: – Ensure higher, sustained and long-term political engagement by world leaders – Define clear processes, tasks, and expectations – Enhance long-term public- and private-sector support at all levels – Integrate health matters across all relevant policy areas
BIG IDEAS
“We need to get better with warnings because we will have another outbreak and it can be much worse than what we’ve already faced,” said Carina Fearnley, University College London.
“Health warning systems across the world need to move from being responsive to preparedness and prevention,” said Grace Wongge, Monash University, Indonesia.
”The core of [the WHO’s] International Health Regulations’ failure is not the system but the transparency and the decision-making.” said Kumitaa Theva Das, University of Science Malaysia.
Surveillance methods that are specific and sensitive enough to detect even small spikes in case numbers are what can ultimately help prevent future pandemics.
PTI