Disease X is the name given to an illness caused by a serious microbial threat that remains unknown. This mysterious illness was added by the World Health Organization to a short list of top-priority pathogens for research in 2017, alongside well-known killers such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Ebola.
Covid-19, which originated from a novel coronavirus and sparked the pandemic in late 2019, is an example of a Disease X. The vast number of viruses circulating in wildlife are believed to be the probable source of more diseases like this. These viruses have the potential to jump species and infect humans, causing an infection for which people have no immunity.
What’s the point of studying Disease X?
The goal, according to WHO, is to facilitate early and relevant cross-cutting research and development preparedness for an unknown disease. The Ebola epidemic of 2014-2016 served as a wake-up call, as no products were available to save over 11,000 lives despite years of research.
As a result, WHO established a blueprint for research and development to expedite the creation of tools for “priority diseases”, including Covid-19, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Ebola and Marburg virus diseases, Lassa fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) and Sars, Nipah, and Nipah virus diseases, Rift Valley fever, Zika, and Disease X.
What is the progress of research on the upcoming pandemic?
Due to preparations made starting in 2017 for a potential disease outbreak, we managed to authorize the first COVID-19 vaccine only 326 days after the genetic sequence of the Sars-CoV-2 virus was identified.
Currently, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi) and other groups are backing a plan worth US$3.5 billion (S$4.8 billion) to support quick response vaccine platforms that can create new immunizations within 100 days of a virus with pandemic potential emerging.
Several initiatives are currently underway, including the updating of the International Health Regulations and the development of a new global agreement to safeguard against future emergencies.
The World Bank has also approved a new fund for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Additionally, the WHO has established a Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence Hub in Berlin, which aims to expedite access to crucial data and create predictive models to evaluate potential threats.
The Global Virome Project is working towards identifying zoonotic viral threats to prevent future pandemics. The US government has allocated US$5 billion towards Project NextGen, an initiative to develop next-generation vaccines and treatments for Covid-19.
Furthermore, a national network for detecting and responding to public health emergencies has received US$262.5 million in funding. Lastly, a global center for pandemic therapeutics has been established.
Despite ongoing efforts, various obstacles pose a risk to their success. These include health systems that have been depleted and weakened, a rising anti-science movement that has led to increased vaccine hesitancy, and the possibility of governments eventually reducing funding for outbreak detection and preparedness when perceived risks decrease.
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Writer,
Tabassum Akter Taba
Intern at Content Writing Department
YSSE