What is Disease X, believed to be 20 times deadlier than COVID-19? Read to find out
Preparations for Disease X began after the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa. After that, the WHO created a priority list of diseases.
Many world leaders are currently meeting in Davos for the World Economic Forum (WEF). They are set to discuss concerns about a possible future pandemic, which could spread through Disease X. Experts believe it could be 20 times deadlier than COVID-19.
WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, along with health experts and industry leaders, will lead a panel discussing "Preparing for Disease X." The focus is on developing platform technologies, including vaccines and drug therapies, to be ready for a more severe pandemic.
Preparations for Disease X began after the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa. After that, the WHO created a priority list of diseases, including COVID-19, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease, Lassa fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and SARS, Nipah and henipaviral diseases, Rift Valley fever, Zika, Disease X.
The goal is to accelerate research and development to avoid delays witnessed during the Ebola outbreak, where 11,000 lives were lost due to a lack of timely interventions.
Researchers, part of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), are actively working on rapid response vaccine platforms to develop new immunisations within 100 days of identifying a potential pandemic, under a $3.5 billion plan.
The urgency stems from the fact that various viruses in wildlife pose a potential threat to human health, emphasising the need for proactive measures and global collaboration to tackle future health crises,