Could you list the disease outbreaks that have been declared as the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)?
– H1H1 (Swine flu) in 2009
– Polio in 2014
– Ebola in 2014
– ZiKa in 2016
– COVID-19 in 2020
– Monkey Pox in 2022
Why do these outbreaks raise such concerns?
These outbreaks raise significant concerns for several reasons. Similar to what my classmates discussed previously, they provoke public concerns because of the potential consequences, such as the loss of life, as seen in the example of the COVID-19 outbreak that resulted in a substantial number of deaths. Moreover, these outbreaks have a significant economic impact globally, affecting the well-being of populations. Additionally, they are often unexpected, as the pathogens are unknown beforehand. This lack of prior knowledge about the disease means there is no established protocol to control the disease or prevent its transmission, resulting in rapid spread of the outbreaks.
In your opinion, is there a disease or condition that may potentially lead to PHEIC in the future? Why?
I think in the future, it is highly possible that zoonotic disease may emerge again, as previously most of the serious outbreak came from animals. It might because of the ecosystem has altered from the changes of natures and climate. Another interesting thing similar to my classmates mentioned is drug resistance, once there is an unknown pathogen causes the serious outbreak combine with there is no drugs can kill them, the impact on the entire population would be greatly amplified.