8.The Global Threat of Infectious Disease Outbreaks

The Global Threat of Infectious Disease Outbreaks

VetPubHealth Journal ISSUE 17 IVSA Standing Committe on One Health April 2020 Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi are the factors responsible of various diseases. Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases of animals that can cause disease when transmitted to humans. Many new and existing infectious microorganisms are serious threats to health and food security. It is very much necessary to identify causative organism, to save the mankind from different diseases globally. Apart from the region, country, and race, harmful microorganism are making life continuously in danger also. Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are defined as ‘‘infections that have newly appeared in a population or existing before but are rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range.’’ This causes burden on the health of public and national economy. It can affect ecological, environmental, and socioeconomic condition of nations. Food markets, human behavioral changes, changes in agriculture and livestock practices, climate alteration, and environmental degradation have allowed new and easy passage for infectious agents to reemerge and appear in previously non endemic areas. Often such incidents are followed by a global response that entails divert developmental funds. After having been in a state of denial for a few decades, the world community has recognized the potential threats of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, which is evident by the resolve in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to combat infectious diseases like malaria and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome explain (AIDS) and to support the global movement to wipe out such diseases from the face of earth (. Many serious efforts, in the form of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), the Global Health Initiative (GHI), and the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR), all of which aim to build robust, collective, sustainable, and globally integrated health management systems that are safe and secure. Previous studies indicate that the concentration of pathogenic infectious diseases called the latitudinal species diversity gradient in human pathogens is increasing toward the equator, which is mostly attributable to factors like population density, overuse of antibiotics, improper agricultural practices and environmental disturbances. The occurrence of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases can be a grim situation for third world nations such as Pakistan. This region has been hit by several epidemics. According to the WHO, there is risk for many outbreaks in the future because of inadequate primary health care, improper sanitation, overcrowded cities, an insufficient number of medical practitioners and insufficient medications, contaminated water, lack of awareness among the public about hygienic conditions, meager attention by the government, a large number of refugees and internally displaced people, religious misconceptions, and resource limitations. Pakistan as a developing country faces many challenges because of limited resources and financial constraints. According to recent data, Pakistan spends 4.7% of its total budget on health care, which is not enough for a populous country like Pakistan. There are estimated to be 2 primary healthcare units per 10,000 people in the country. The maternal mortality ratio is 170 out of 100,000 people (Khalil et al.,2017). Even after massive technical advancements, our knowledge about infectious diseases is not sufficient. This is a greater concern for underdeveloped countries because they lack the technological capacity to deal with such issues effectively. There is a great need for global partnerships to provide a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to deal with these issues. Because Hamza Jawad IVSA Pakistan, Bahawalpur 24

of the flaws in healthcare practices and the environmental conditions, epidemics always find a way to spread in the local population. The failure to achieve a good healthcare system has resulted in Pakistan being a reservoir for infectious diseases, like polio, which have elsewhere been wiped from the face of the earth. Besides the endemic entities, there is a global threat of Ebola virus that demands serious and dedicated efforts to be undertaken at federal and provincial levels, with effective participation from civil society and religious scholars. Zika virus is among the heavily debated issues across the world. Recent statements by the health ministry and WHO indicated that the risk of a Zika virus outbreak is insignificant. Even if there is a low risk, there is a great need to monitor the virus globally and respond immediately if a suspected Zika case is found in the country. An outbreak response and implementation strategy should be immediately developed against pathogens like Ebola, Zika, and MERS. At present, Pakistan may not have the capacity to deal with these issues by itself, so efforts are required by the international community to reduce the existing threat of emerging infectious diseases (Khalil et al., 2017). The emergency response teams should be properly trained and equipped to respond to any event. Biosecurity issues must be taken care of. A dedicated, well-planned, integrated effort at all levels of society is needed to cope with the menace of infectious diseases. The Institute of Medicine’s 2003 report Microbial Threats to Health stresses that the United States should enhance the global capacity for responding to infectious disease threats and should take a leadership role in promoting a comprehensive, global, real-time infectious disease surveillance system. Rapid identification and control of emerging infectious diseases helps: -Promote health abroad -Prevent the international spread of disease -Protect the health of the U.S. population health threats is recognized in the revised International Health Regulations (IHR [2005]) with its all-hazards approach to assessing serious public health threats. These regulations are designed to prevent the international spread of diseases, while minimizing interruption of world travel and trade. They encourage countries to work together to share information about known diseases and public health events of international concern. (www.healthypeople.gov) Nowadays, coronavirus pandemic outbreak is affecting all the countries around the globe. The day by day increase in the number of positive cases and deaths is a threat alarm for the health professionals and government bodies. Therefore, it is need of time to develop vaccine and proper treatment to limit the spread of infections. New policies and measures are required to stop further transmission of diseases across different regions. The role of veterinary professionals is also crucial in controlling such infectious diseases. They contribute in improvement of human and public health by improving agriculture and food systems, advancing biomedical and comparative medical research, preventing and addressing zoonotic diseases, enhancing environmental and ecosystem health, and helping manage 21st century public health. Considering the current scenario, the collaborative efforts of government officials, policy makers, health professionals, veterinarians and general public is the only solution to combat with the emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Khalil, A. T., Ali, M., Tanveer, F., Ovais, M., Idrees, M., Shinwari, Z. K., & Hollenbeck, J. E. (2017). Emerging viral infections in Pakistan: issues, concerns, and future prospects. Health security, 15(3), 268-281. https://www.healDthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/global-health References: 25