Could you list the disease outbreaks that have been declared as the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)?
The disease outbreaks that have been declared as the Public Health Emergency of International Concern are:
– 2009 H1N1 Pandemic,
– 2014 Polio,
– 2014 Ebola outbreak,
– 2015-2016 Zika Virus,
– 2018-2019 Kivu Ebola epidemic, and
– 2019 COVID-19 pandemic
Why do these outbreaks raise such concerns?
These outbreaks had a serious impact on public health, were unusual or unexpected, significant risk for international spread, and risk for trade or travel restrictions.
In your opinion, is there a disease or condition that may potentially lead to PHEIC in the future? Why?
A disease that may potentially lead to PHEIC in the future is Avian Influenza, which the WHO claimed that “There will be pandemics in the future, but when, where, and how they spread is difficult to predict. They can have significant health, economic, and social consequences. An influenza pandemic will occur when an influenza virus emerges with the ability to cause sustained human-to-human transmission, and the human population has little to no immunity against the virus. With the growth of global travel, a pandemic can spread rapidly.” That outbreak will meet at least 3 criteria for a potential PHEIC.