1. Could you list the disease outbreaks that have been declared as the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)?
a. H1N1 Influenza (2009): A global swine flu pandemic that spread rapidly, causing widespread concern.
b. Polio (2014): Declared due to outbreaks in countries where vaccination rates were low, risking further international spread.
c. Ebola (2014): A highly fatal disease with major outbreaks in Africa, raising fears of global transmission.
d. Zika Virus (2016): Caused birth defects like microcephaly and spread to many countries, particularly in the Americas.
e. Ebola (2019): Another Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which was declared a PHEIC due to its risk of international spread.
f. COVID-19 (2020): A novel coronavirus that rapidly spread worldwide, causing a global pandemic.
g. Monkeypox (2022): An outbreak outside its typical regions, raising concerns about its international spread and potential for higher transmission.
2. Why do these outbreaks raise concerns?
_Global spread: Diseases can spread across borders quickly, especially with international travel, making containment difficult.
_High mortality and morbidity: Some diseases like Ebola have high fatality rates, while others like COVID-19 cause widespread illness.
_Burden on healthcare systems: Outbreaks can overwhelm hospitals and medical resources leading to shortages and higher mortality.
_Economic disruption: Outbreaks can close businesses, limit travel, and slow down economies, as seen with COVID-19.
_Emerging pathogens: New diseases, like COVID-19, may have no immediate treatments or vaccines, making them harder to manage.
_Potential for global impact: These diseases have the potential to turn into pandemics if not quickly controlled.
3. In your opinion, is there a disease or condition that may potentially lead to PHEIC in the future? Why?
In my opinion, the antimicrobial resistance may lead to PHEIC in the future. Due to the limited knowledge of the general population and lack of effective preventive measures such as some countries including Myanmar that lead the bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics. This could lead to un-treatable infections, posing a serious global health threat.
