The World Health Organization has identified over 30 pathogens that pose a potential threat of causing the next pandemic in Africa.
According to The PUNCH, this revelation is detailed in their latest report, titled, ‘Pathogens Prioritisation: A Scientific Framework for Epidemic and Pandemic Research Preparedness’,
Among the pathogens listed are viruses and bacteria such as Lassa fever, Mpox, Ebola, dengue fever, respiratory viruses, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, and the Chikungunya virus.
Lassa fever, which is endemic in Nigeria, typically sees a rise in cases during the dry season, from December to April.
Therefore, an increase in infections is anticipated as the dry season continues.
Mpox outbreaks are attributed to different viral strains known as clades. According to the report, “Clade 1b has been confirmed in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, while the clade in Burundi is still being analysed.” Additionally, this year, cases of clade 1a have been documented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of Congo, while clade 2 has been reported in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Amidst a rise in mosquito-borne viral infections across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, WHO has recently prequalified TAK-003 as a new vaccine for dengue.
The prioritisation process involved contributions from over 200 scientists across more than 50 countries, who evaluated scientific data on 28 virus families and one core bacterial group, covering a total of 1,652 pathogens.
The epidemic and pandemic risk of each pathogen was assessed based on factors such as transmission patterns, virulence, and the availability of diagnostic tests, vaccines, and treatments.
The WHO’s list was compiled after a thorough review of a shortlist of 1,652 pathogens by 200 scientists from over 50 countries.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and WHO have urged researchers and governments to intensify and accelerate global research efforts to prepare for the next pandemic.
As Dr. Richard Hatchett, the CEO of CEPI, remarked, “WHO’s scientific framework for epidemic and pandemic research preparedness is a vital shift in how the world approaches countermeasure development, and one that is strongly supported by CEPI.”
