The Next Pandemic

Why in news?

The WHO Director-general at the 76th world health assembly has cautioned against the threat of emerging pathogens.

A pandemic is a disease outbreak that spreads across countries or continents.
COVID-19 is one such pandemic in recent years, which led to waves of infections and deaths in all countries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that COVID-19 was no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
The virus continues to have reservoirs in animals, but the likelihood to turn into a pandemic or public health threat is small.

Air travel - Ease of travel makes it likely for infections to spread to a large number of populations and countries.
Urbanisation - Large number of people living in close proximity.
Travel and density of population has played a role in previous pandemics as well.
The Spanish Flu of 1918 happened towards the end of World War I and spread through congested and overcrowded camps.
The deadliest pandemic Black Death is also thought to have come to Europe with rats that were aboard trading ships.

Climate plays several roles in outbreaks and pandemics.
Deforestation and encroachment of habitats of other animals has brought the humans and animals closer.
This increased human-animal interactions has led to more zoonotic transfer of diseases.
The climate itself may change the habitats of the disease-carrying vectors.
For example: The geographical range of dengue in the country expanded to hilly and colder regions.
Climate change also leads to extreme weather events that can displace people and force them to live in poor hygienic conditions.
Climate change may increase the risk of ‘viral spillover’ in some regions that could cause new pandemics.

Pandemic potential pathogens - The bacteria, viruses, or microorganisms that are highly transmissible capable of spreading unchecked amongst humans and highly virulent capable of causing severe disease and death.
Coronaviruses are one such pathogens that has pandemic potential.
Priority List - The WHO has a priority list of pathogens that are pandemic potential and don’t have adequate drugs and vaccines against them.
This list acts as the basis for prioritising research for developing diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines for these diseases.
The list includes -

The list also includes ‘Disease X’ which represents a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease.

The countries and healthcare systems are required to prepare for such future pandemics.
A one-health surveillance that can track outbreaks in both human and animal population.
Recently, the WHO has launched the International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN).

Government should ensure sanitation and hygiene to reduce infection risks.
There is a need to keep the health systems ready for a health emergency including systems to quickly come up with diagnostics, drugs, or vaccines.
Similar Topics - WHO's Pandemic Treaty, India’s APPI and AHSSOH