THE GLOBAL Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) has released its latest annual report, spotlighting avian flu and mpox as significant emerging threats with pandemic potential. The report, aimed at boosting global readiness for future pandemics, emphasizes that H5N1 avian influenza and a new mpox strain in Central Africa have already shown worrying signs of spreading, urging the international community to take immediate action.
The report outlines 15 key drivers of pandemic risk, including social, environmental, and political factors, while warning that global health preparedness is still hampered by public distrust in governments and scientific institutions. It stresses that renewed confidence in public health measures is essential before the next global outbreak.
The GPMB highlights that the next pandemic is unlikely to resemble COVID-19. Instead of focusing solely on past lessons, the report urges governments to adopt a forward-looking approach. In particular, it warns that the increasing human-animal-environment interaction, particularly in rapidly changing regions, is likely to serve as the source of the next pandemic. Diseases typically confined to tropical regions, such as dengue or yellow fever, could soon emerge in temperate areas due to environmental shifts and climate change.
The ongoing mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the recent detection of polio in Gaza, underscore how political instability and global health issues are intertwined. These examples, the report suggests, show the need for stronger collaboration across borders and sectors to better prepare for future pandemics.
Reference: CIDRAP. Annual report cites avian flu, mpox as pandemic threats. October 2024. Available at: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/misc-emerging-topics/annual-report-cites-avian-flu-mpox-pandemic-threats. Last accessed: October 22, 2024.
Anaya Malik | AMJ
