Experts warn: Next pandemic inevitable without urgent global preparedness
Experts at a recent webinar have underscored the urgent need for countries to strengthen their preparedness for future pandemics and global health emergencies. The webinar, titled 'Ebola: Preparing for the Next Pandemic' and organised by The Hindu, brought together health specialists who emphasised the importance of robust laboratory and testing infrastructure, training for healthcare workers, data sharing among stakeholders, and community trust-building to combat misinformation.
Parthesarathy Rajendran, Executive Director of Médecins Sans Frontières South Asia, discussed the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda. He highlighted how cases surged and stressed the importance of contact tracing to control infection spread. Rajendran also emphasised the need to work with communities to build awareness around infection protocols, prevention measures, and ensuring dignified burials for all patients.
Hamsadvani Kuganantham, a consultant at the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office and Global Health Research Manager at The Global Health Network, University of Oxford, called for countries, including India, to adopt preparedness protocols. She stressed the need to strengthen disease surveillance, share data to facilitate research, and incorporate the One Health Approach—which recognizes the interconnection between people, animals, and the environment—into public health measures.
Vijayalakshmi Balakrishnan, Senior Consultant in Infectious Diseases at Kauvery Hospitals, Chennai, explained the clinical handling of zoonotic infections—from diagnosis and management to treatment and patient education. She highlighted the need for data analytics from state governments to help clinicians anticipate outbreaks or prepare for surges in specific infections. She also warned against self-medication with antibiotics, which contributes to the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance.
The webinar, part of The Hindu's Health Webinar Series, is available for viewing online. Experts collectively called for a coordinated global response, with governments, healthcare systems, and communities working together to ensure readiness for the next health emergency.
