WHO Director-General Tedros joined world leaders at the Davos summit to discuss strategies for the next potential pandemic. As the winter season brings back a surge in respiratory illness and pandemic-era practices such as mask mandates, global health experts are thinking ahead about how to prepare for the next big outbreak. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a panel of health industry leaders discussed the importance of preplanning for the outbreak of a hypothetical “Disease X”.
News of the panel sparked conspiracy from right-wing accounts on social media that world leaders are launching the next pandemic or moving to once again “restrict” free speech and reinstate mask mandates. However, the WHO has clarified that such preparation is meant to reduce COVID-19-era devastations such as the insufficient capacity of medical systems or the trillions of dollars that were lost in the economy.
Disease X is not a specific disease but is the name given to a potential novel infectious agent. It represents an illness which is currently unknown but could pose a serious microbial threat to humans in the future. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) added Disease X to a list of pathogens that are a top priority for research, alongside known killers like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Ebola. Labelling this potential threat as “Disease X” is meant to prioritize preparations for dealing with a disease that does not yet have vaccines or drug treatments, and could give rise to a severe epidemic. The WHO has warned that Disease X could result in 20 times more fatalities than COVID-19.
At the Davos summit on Wednesday, healthcare experts emphasized that preparing for Disease X could help save lives and costs if countries begin research and preemptive measures in advance of a known outbreak. The WHO has already started implementing measures to prepare for another outbreak, including a pandemic fund and a “technology transfer hub” in South Africa that enables the local production of vaccines and would help overcome issues of vaccine inequity across high and low-income countries.
While some conspiracy theories suggest that governments could use Disease X to impose policies such as vaccine and mask mandates, the WHO maintains that the designation of Disease X will allow governments to better cope with a novel pandemic as “worldwide, the number of potential pathogens is very large, while the resources for disease research and development (R&D) is limited”.
In conclusion, the discussions at the Davos summit regarding Disease X highlight the importance of proactive pandemic preparedness. By focusing on potential future threats and investing in research and development, governments and organizations can better equip themselves to handle the next outbreak. The WHO’s efforts to establish a pandemic fund and technology transfer hub demonstrate a commitment to addressing vaccine inequity and ensuring the necessary resources are available to combat potential pandemics. While conspiracy theories may circulate, it is crucial to prioritize the health and well-being of global populations and work together to mitigate the risks posed by future infectious diseases.
