Janet Ogundepo
As the World Economic Forum deliberates on “Preparing for ‘Disease X’ during one of its side sessions Wednesday at its 54th Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, a public health expert, Dr Tuyi Mebawondu, has said that Nigeria could not face another epidemic.
The WEF, an international non-governmental organisation for public–private sector collaboration based in Switzerland, the annual meeting started on January 15 and will continue until January 19.
“Preparing for Disease X” will be one of the topics for discussion on Wednesday, at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting.
Disease X is an unknown pathogen that could cause a serious international epidemic, the World Health Organisation says.
A statement from the WEF website stated in part, “With fresh warnings from the World Health Organisation that an unknown “Disease X” could result in 20 times more fatalities than the coronavirus pandemic, what novel efforts are needed to prepare healthcare systems for the multiple challenges ahead?”
Public Speakers listed for the event include the Director-General, World Health Organisation, Tedros Ghebreyesus, Head, Centre for Health and Healthcare; Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum Geneva, Shyam Bishen and Chair of the Board, AstraZeneca Plc, Michel Demaré.
The President, Bola Tinubu, who was listed among the top political leaders to take part in the event, would be represented by his Vice, Kashim Shettima, who departed for Davos on Sunday.
The WHO had in 2022, launched a global scientific process to update the list of priority pathogens to guide global investment and research in vaccines, tests and treatments.
The global health body has listed diseases such as COVID-19, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease, Lassa fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Nipah and henipaviral diseases, Rift Valley fever, Zika and Disease X as part of the over 25 virus families and bacteria.
However, while other diseases had a known name, the reason for the inclusion of the unnamed disease referred to as X was given.
“Disease X is included to indicate an unknown pathogen that could cause a serious international epidemic. The experts will recommend a list of priority pathogens that need further research and investment. The process will include both scientific and public health criteria, as well as criteria related to socioeconomic impact, access, and equity,” the WHO explained.
But considering the impact of COVID-19 on Nigerians, the public health expert mentioned that the discussion of a new and yet-to-be-identified disease at the WEF would raise suspicions in the minds of the public.
An analysis by some international scientists on the reason for the WHO’s research on “Disease X” was to research and funding was provided for the next pandemic and future emergencies.
Speaking with PUNCH Healthwise, Mebawondu, stated that the continuous spread of some viral diseases had indicated the possibility of the outbreak of another epidemic.
He, however, noted that the brain-drained and underfunded health sector in Nigeria was unprepared for another disease epidemic.
The physician clarified, “I think what was termed Disease X was a hypothetical disease that may come and may become more fatal than COVID-19 but how would the world respond to it? If you remember very well, COVID-19 took the world by storm.
“It paralysed everything, threatened the health system, overthrew some governments, the economy was stagnant, countries went into recession and it disrupted humanity in a very unique way. It then became important for the world to anticipate a virus, or pathogen that could even be more lethal than COVID-19 and how to deal with it.
“We know that the WHO has some priority pathogens that they are watching out for including Ebola, Zika, Lassa fever, MERS and SARS. It is important that we put it into perspective, supposing we have a new pathogen that becomes deadlier than COVID, how do we respond?
“For me, I had pushed for the Future Fund for Epidemic Preparedness because what we observed then (during COVID) was a lot of financial challenges. If not that we had a lot of money from the WHO, it would have been a big issue for us to deal with the epidemic at that level. The FFEP becomes very essential in this regard.”
He however noted that the discussion of Disease X at the WEF would further create suspicions in the minds of people following the several arguments of the origin of COVID-19.
“I think putting them at the table and starting looking at the vaccines raise suspicion in the public mind and they need to tidy their communication. If there is a discussion of a vaccine for a disease that is yet to exist, the question in people’s minds would be should that be the first thing? The key thing that needs to be focused on is disease prevention and transmission.
“I think the WEF should be cautious in trying to define and communicate a hypothetical disease to the world or else, there would be a lot of revolt. I keep emphasising the communication, the aspect of that conference can be called Future Epidemic Preparedness without labelling it “Disease X” because the next epidemic could be a non-communicable disease, drug abuse, obesity or substance abuse which could be experienced across the world. Measures to prevent a pandemic of priority pathogens would suffice instead of labelling it
“Disease X”. We have to be careful in the way we communicate, else the world would revolt.”
Mebawondu hoped that the WEF, in its discussion Wednesday, would discuss how to aggregate money to respond to a global pandemic by taking a cue from COVID.
The doctor further noted that the equitable distribution of the vaccines, medical disposables and allocation was important.
He added that the budgetary allocation and brain-drained health sector in Nigeria was an indication of its unpreparedness.
Mebawondu decried the lack of modern, well-equipped and staffed laboratories for testing and research to ensure preparedness for current and future epidemics.
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