Warning Over Deadly New Diseases
- added July 21, 2008
- 4 responses
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- goldenways
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A potentially deadly new disease is emerging somewhere in the world every year - and the international community is ill-equipped to stop it spreading, a parliamentary committee has warned.
In a highly critical new report, the committee said there was an "urgent need" for a better global surveillance system to identify diseases before they infect large numbers of people.
It noted that three-quarters of newly-emerging human infections come from animals - but found many are only detected once they have made humans ill.
Experts estimate a devastating pandemic outbreak of a new disease such as SARS or the H5N1 strain of flu could claim anything between two and 50 million lives.
In evidence to the House of Lords Intergovernmental Organisations Committee inquiry, the Government said there had been no pandemic disease outbreaks since 1968.
However, it warned another pandemic outbreak was "inevitable".
Committee chairman Lord Soley said: "The last 100 years have seen great advances in public health and disease control through the world, but globalisation and changes in lifestyles are giving rise to new infections and providing opportunities for them to spread rapidly throughout the world.
"We have been impressed by the increased international resources and commitment which are now being devoted to controlling infectious diseases, and we hope this will continue and grow.
"However, for that to be effective it is vital that there is sufficient surveillance of disease outbreaks to limit their spread.
"We were particularly concerned about the link with animal health. Three quarters of new human infectious diseases start in animals.
"We urgently need better surveillance systems to deal with this problem."
The committee has called on the World Health Organisation to take a leadership role in improving coordination of the surveillance and response effort.
But it warned the UN agency needed to be "better organised and resourced" to do this.
In a highly critical new report, the committee said there was an "urgent need" for a better global surveillance system to identify diseases before they infect large numbers of people.
It noted that three-quarters of newly-emerging human infections come from animals - but found many are only detected once they have made humans ill.
Experts estimate a devastating pandemic outbreak of a new disease such as SARS or the H5N1 strain of flu could claim anything between two and 50 million lives.
In evidence to the House of Lords Intergovernmental Organisations Committee inquiry, the Government said there had been no pandemic disease outbreaks since 1968.
However, it warned another pandemic outbreak was "inevitable".
Committee chairman Lord Soley said: "The last 100 years have seen great advances in public health and disease control through the world, but globalisation and changes in lifestyles are giving rise to new infections and providing opportunities for them to spread rapidly throughout the world.
"We have been impressed by the increased international resources and commitment which are now being devoted to controlling infectious diseases, and we hope this will continue and grow.
"However, for that to be effective it is vital that there is sufficient surveillance of disease outbreaks to limit their spread.
"We were particularly concerned about the link with animal health. Three quarters of new human infectious diseases start in animals.
"We urgently need better surveillance systems to deal with this problem."
The committee has called on the World Health Organisation to take a leadership role in improving coordination of the surveillance and response effort.
But it warned the UN agency needed to be "better organised and resourced" to do this.
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- goldenways
- 2 months ago
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The Earth is just trying to "heal" itself from what humans are doing to it. Earth is a living organism just like the cells in our body and when attacked, an anti-body is sent out to neutralize it. In Earths case, we are being neutralized!
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really? like SARS and Avian Flu? because we all know how catastrophic those were.
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- SilenceNoMore
- 2 months ago
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Fear mongering, it's what's for dinner.
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