New Delhi, Dec 15 (NationPress) The globe may witness another pandemic at any moment, attributed to virus spillover from animals, as stated by Mario C.B. Raviglione, the ex-Director of the Global Tuberculosis (TB) Programme at the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Raviglione emphasized that our highly interconnected world serves as an ideal environment for the rapid spread of another pandemic, akin to COVID-19.
“There is a universal expectation of another pandemic. This could occur at any time, considering we inhabit an exceptionally interconnected world,” remarked Raviglione, who is a Full Professor of Global Health at the University of Milan, Italy.
“Italy was the initial nation in the Western world to be affected by COVID, which is clearly linked to our swift transportation networks. In this global village, some countries are attempting to reinforce barriers, yet we are all still interconnected,” he added.
The Professor pointed out that while some nations are striving to erect barriers through conflict, the reality is that we remain interconnected.
“As we have witnessed, any respiratory disease can proliferate rapidly,” he stated.
He explained that a large portion of newly emerging diseases are viral in nature and primarily originate from the animal kingdom, indicating they are zoonotic in nature, similar to COVID.
Recently, the world has experienced outbreaks of COVID-19, Ebola, chikungunya, West Nile fever, the latest being mPox and H5N1 influenza — all linked to the animal kingdom in various ways.
Despite facing these emerging threats, Raviglione lamented that the preparedness of countries is alarmingly low, which could have significant repercussions.
“Investment is essential. However, governments are often reluctant to allocate funds for preparation and readiness. They prefer to invest in visible outcomes. When a disease strikes, they mobilize resources for treatment, but by then, it is too late for prevention. Hence, the issue of preparedness is crucial,” the expert highlighted.
He proposed establishing preparedness hubs to identify and counter new threats in their initial stages, referencing the COVID pandemic as a scenario where global nations were ill-prepared, leading to a disparity in vaccine distribution that resulted in numerous deaths, especially in low-income countries.
“Preparedness necessitates robust support from laboratories and the pharmaceutical sector to swiftly develop tests, not only in Europe or North America, but also in India and other nations,” Raviglione advised.
He urged that BRICS countries should establish mechanisms to facilitate vaccine availability under specific conditions, overcoming patent restrictions when necessary.
(Rachel V Thomas can be contacted at rachel.t@ians.in)
