List of the disease outbreaks that have been declared as the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)? Why do these outbreaks raise such concerns?
Since 2005, eight disease outbreaks have been declared as Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC) under the IHR 2005. These include:
1. H1N1 Influenza Pandemic (Swine Flu): Declared on April 25, 2009, and ended in August 2010. This outbreak rasied concern by a rapidly spreading novel influenza virus that infected millions worldwide, raising fears of severe global impact.
2. Wild Poliovirus (Polio): Declared on May 5, 2014, but it’s still ongoing as of 2025. This outbreak raised concern by due to the re-emergence and international spread of wild poliovirus in areas thought to be near eradication, threatening global progress toward elimination.
3. Ebola Virus Disease (West Africa outbreak): Declared on August 8, 2014, and ended on March 29, 2016. This outbreak raised concern by devastating epidemic in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone that caused over 11,000 deaths and exposed weaknesses in international outbreak response systems.
4. Zika Virus Epidemic: Declared on February 1, 2016, and ended on November 18, 2016. This outbreak raised concern because of its association with severe birth defects, including microcephaly, and its rapid spread across the Americas.
5. Ebola Virus Disease (Democratic Republic of Congo – Kivu outbreak): Declared on July 17, 2019, and ended on June 26, 2020. This outbreak raised concern due to high case fatality rates, ongoing conflict in affected areas, and risk of cross-border transmission.
6. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic: Declared on January 30, 2020, and ended on May 5, 2023. The outbreak raised concerb by leading to widespread morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic disruption.
7. Monkeypox (Mpox) Outbreak: Declared on July 23, 2022, and ended on May 11, 2023. The outbreak raised concern due to emergence in multiple non-endemic countries, highlighting global vulnerability to zoonotic infections.
8. Monkeypox (Mpox) Re-emergence: Declared again on August 14, 2024, following new outbreaks in Central and East Africa. This outbreak raised concern due to the rising number of cases across several regions, reflecting persistent transmission and the need for coordinated control efforts.
Overall, these outbreaks raised global concern because they met the core PHEIC criteria: they posed a public health risk, had the significant risk for international spread, international trade and travel restrictions, as well as required a coordinated international response.
In your opinion, is there a disease or condition that may potentially lead to PHEIC in the future? Why?
In my opinion, any disease that is highly infectious, difficult to detect in its early stages, and capable of spreading across borders has the potential to trigger a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in the future. One example is avian influenza, which remains a major concern due to its ongoing mutations (strains adaptations) and increasing presence among both animal and human populations. These changes raise the risk of the virus adapting to spread more easily between humans, which could create conditions for another global health emergency. Therefore, I would say that it is essential to recognize the interconnection between humans, animals, and the environment, One Health approach, as a key perspective in anticipating and preventing future PHEICs.