scholarly journals COVID-19: Learning from Past Funding Initiatives and their Dismissal in Southeast Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 182-201
Author(s):  
Rosalia Sciortino
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Development Aid ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Philanthropic Foundations ◽  
Zoonotic Infections ◽  
Local Disease ◽  
Internal And External Factors

This article examines philanthropic funding of past efforts to control emerging infectious diseases in Southeast Asia and China. The recount, based on personal insights as a foundation professional and a review of both published and unpublished material, shows that American foundations and other like-minded donors identified the risks associated with zoonotic infections early on – including from the same coronavirus family that is causing the current COVID-19 pandemic – and were later followed by bilateral and multilateral donors investing greater resources. At the cusp of the 2000s, foundations played a leadership and catalyst role in advancing a transdisciplinary agenda to better understand and respond to new emerging threats and in building the necessary individual and institutional capacities for regional and local disease surveillance. For more than a decade, this concentration of resources and approaches was recognised as having contributed to better preparedness. Gradually, however, funding initiatives declined in value and intensity due to several internal and external factors. This article argues that COVID-19 arrives in the midst of an unfinished donor agenda and that it is important to reflect on why philanthropic foundations, and the development aid community more generally, found themselves unprepared for the pandemic in order to draw lessons for addressing today’s crisis – and future outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Emerging infectious diseases in southeast Asia: regional challenges to control

The Lancet ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 377 (9765) ◽  
pp. 599-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J Coker ◽  
Benjamin M Hunter ◽  
James W Rudge ◽  
Marco Liverani ◽  
Piya Hanvoravongchai
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases

scholarly journals When might Host Heterogeneity Drive the Evolution of Asymptomatic, Pandemic Coronaviruses?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenichi W. Okamoto ◽  
Virakbott Ong ◽  
Robert G. Wallace ◽  
Rodrick Wallace ◽  
Luis Fernando Chaves
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Fitness Landscape ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Suppression ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Pathogen Strains ◽  
Host Heterogeneity

For most emerging infectious diseases, including SARS-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), pharmaceutical intervensions such as drugs and vaccines are not available, and disease surveillance followed by isolating, contact-tracing and quarantining infectious individuals is critical for controlling outbreaks. These interventions often begin by identifying symptomatic individuals. However, by actively removing pathogen strains likely to be symptomatic, such interventions may inadvertently select for strains less likely to result in symptomatic infections. Additionally, the pathogen's fitness landscape is structured around a heterogeneous host pool. In particular, uneven surveillance efforts and distinct transmission risks across host classes can drastically alter selection pressures. Here we explore this interplay between evolution caused by disease control efforts, on the one hand, and host heterogeneity in the efficacy of public health interventions on the other, on the potential for a less symptomatic, but widespread, pathogen to evolve. We use an evolutionary epidemiology model parameterized for SARS-CoV-2, as the widespread potential for silent transmission by asymptomatic hosts has been hypothesized to account, in part, for its rapid global spread. We show that relying on symptoms-driven reporting for disease control ultimately shifts the pathogen's fitness landscape and can cause pandemics. We find such outcomes result when isolation and quarantine efforts are intense, but insufficient for suppression. We further show that when host removal depends on the prevalence of symptomatic infections, intense isolation efforts can select for the emergence and extensive spread of more asymptomatic strains. The severity of selection pressure on pathogens caused by these interventions likely lies somewhere between the extremes of no intervention and thoroughly successful eradication. Identifying the levels of public health responses that facilitate selection for asymptomatic pathogen strains is therefore critical for calibrating disease suppression and surveillance efforts and for sustainably managing emerging infectious diseases.

Public health professionals’ perceptions of the capacity of China’s CDCs to address emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Xiaoliang Tong ◽  
Alana Hansen ◽  
Scott Hanson-Easey ◽  
Jianjun Xiang ◽  
Scott Cameron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Public Health Professionals ◽  
International Collaborations ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
And Control

AbstractBackgroundChina’s capacity to control and prevent emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases is critical to the nation’s population health. This study aimed to explore the capacity of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) in China to deal with infectious diseases now and in the future.MethodsA survey was conducted in 2015 among 973 public health professionals at CDCs in Beijing and four provinces, to assess their capacity to deal with emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.ResultsAlthough most professionals were confident with the current capacity of CDCs to cope with outbreaks, nearly all indicated more funding was required to meet future challenges. Responses indicated that Yunnan Province faced more challenges than Anhui, Henan and Liaoning Provinces in being completely prepared and able to deal with outbreaks. Participants aged 20–39 years were more likely than those aged 40 and over to believe strategies such as interdisciplinary and international collaborations for disease surveillance and control, would assist capacity building.ConclusionThe capacity of China’s CDCs to deal with infectious diseases was excellent. However, findings suggest it is imperative to increase the number of skilled CDC staff, financial support, and strengthen county level staff training and health education programs.

scholarly journals Plant Based Diet- A Therapeutic Riposte to Emerging Zoonotic Infections

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Praveen Jodalli ◽  
Amitha Basheer ◽  
Aradhana Nagarsekar ◽  
Ridhima Gaunkar ◽  
KM Ramya
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Food System ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Swine Influenza ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Healthy Plant ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Zoonotic Infections ◽  
Major Factors

Emerging zoonotic infectious diseases like swine influenza, avian influenza and Ebola have caused massive human suffering, social upheaval and economic damage across countries and continents. There is increasing evidence that humanity’s overexploitation of nature is one of the major factors responsible for the spread. Recently, mankind is traversing a hard-pandemic time due to COVID-19 outbreak which appears to be a brutal killer. When humans infringe wild adobes for food production, it generates opportunities for infectious pathogens to leap to livestock and humans. It is the time to begin brooding about more radical measures to handle the root of this crisis. A resilient food system that puts less stress on the environment would reduce the outbreak of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) by reducing contact between humans and wild animals thereby restoring biodiversity. World Health Organisation (WHO) advises avoidance/judicious use of animal meat consumption during or after every outbreak. It is clearly evident that a balanced, healthy plant-based diet can help to control pandemics/epidemics not only by preventing the transmission but also by strengthening the immune system of individuals to combat the infection. This paper throws light on how the human diet is directly or indirectly linked to the emergence, spread and prognosis of various infectious diseases.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 genome datasets analytics for informed infectious disease surveillance

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 919
Author(s):  
Moses Effiong Ekpenyong ◽  
Ifiok James Udo ◽  
Mercy Ernest Edoho ◽  
EnoAbasi Deborah Anwana ◽  
Francis Bukie Osang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Case Definitions ◽  
Smart Healthcare ◽  
Disease Case

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged economies, health systems, and lives globally. Concerns surrounding near total economic collapse, loss of livelihood and emotional complications ensuing from lockdowns and commercial inactivity, resulted in governments loosening economic restrictions. These concerns were further exacerbated by the absence of vaccines and drugs to combat the disease, with the fear that the next wave of the pandemic would be more fatal. Consequently, integrating disease surveillance mechanism into public healthcare systems is gaining traction, to reduce the spread of community and cross-border infections and offer informed medical decisions. Methods: Publicly available datasets of coronavirus cases around the globe deposited between December, 2019 and March 15, 2021 were retrieved from GISAID EpiFluTM and processed. Also retrieved from GISAID were data on the different SARS-CoV-2 variant types since inception of the pandemic. Results: Epidemiological analysis offered interesting statistics for understanding the demography of SARS-CoV-2 and helped the elucidation of local and foreign transmission through a history of contact travels. Results of genome pattern visualization and cognitive knowledge mining revealed the emergence of high intra-country viral sub-strains with localized transmission routes traceable to immediate countries, for enhanced contact tracing protocol. Variant surveillance analysis indicates increased need for continuous monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 variants.  A collaborative Internet of Health Things (IoHT) framework was finally proposed to impact the public health system, for robust and intelligent support for modelling, characterizing, diagnosing and real-time contact tracing of infectious diseases. Conclusions: Localizing healthcare disease surveillance is crucial in emerging disease situations and will support real-time/updated disease case definitions for suspected and probable cases. The IoHT framework proposed in this paper will assist early syndromic assessments of emerging infectious diseases and support healthcare/medical countermeasures as well as useful strategies for making informed policy decisions to drive a cost effective, smart healthcare system.

scholarly journals Surveillance of emerging infectious diseases in wild non-human primates in Kenya: Successes and challenges

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercy Y. Akinyi ◽  
Stanislaus Kivai ◽  
Peris Mbuthia ◽  
David Kiragu ◽  
Tim Wango ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Sample Collection ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
High Degree

Abstract Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) originating from wildlife present a significant threat to global health, security, and economic growth, thus combatting their emergence is a public health priority. Humans and non-human primates (NHPs) exhibit a high degree of overlap in their genetic and physiological similarities, hence making them susceptible to majority of pathogens that can cross the primate species boundaries. However, efforts to understand the potential infectious disease-causing pathogens harbored by wild primate populations has lagged and is yet to be fully explored. Disease surveillance in wildlife to identify probable infectious disease outbreaks has remained a challenge especially in developing countries due to logistical and financial constrains associated with both periodic and longitudinal sample collection. Such loopholes have hampered the preparedness to handle the emerging infectious diseases whenever they arise. In this review we focus on successes, challenges, and proposed solutions for EID surveillance in non-human primate populations in Kenya. We discuss,1) mechanisms of cross species transmission of EIDs, 2) the role of NHPS in EID transmission, 3) results from past NHP pathogen surveillance projects in Kenya and 4) challenges and proposed solutions for NHP-EID surveillance. Finally, we propose that more studies need to include investigations into understanding how cross species transmission occurs in diverse NHP populations and how this impacts one health.

scholarly journals Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases: Novel Challenges in Today’s World or More of the Same?

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2382
Author(s):  
João R. Mesquita
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Human Environment

More than 61% of all human pathogens are zoonotic, representing 75% of all emerging pathogens during the past decade. Albeit significant technological leaps in diagnostics development and disease surveillance, zoonotic emerging infectious diseases are evermore a matter of concern, particularly in modern days where global warming keeps providing ideal climatic conditions to the introduction of exotic infectious agents or disease vectors in new territories. Worryingly, the 2019 novel coronavirus epidemic acts as an extreme reminder of the role animal reservoirs play in public health, accounting for over 4,200,000 deaths worldwide until today. In this Special Issue, we approach a myriad of zoonotic infectious diseases and their complex mechanisms. This Special Issue is composed of three reviews on zoonotic diseases of African Lions, hemogregarine classification, and hepatitis E virus in Brazil, followed by one letter and one opinion piece that broadens the spectrum of disease emergence to mechanistic aspects of emerging non-communicable diseases. The Special Issue is completed by six research papers covering a wide array of emerging and re-emerging diseases of poultry, bovine, poultry and tortoises, of various nature such as parasitic, bacterial, and viral. This is a brief but assertive collection that showcases the need to address health at the animal–human–environment interface, in a One Health perspective.

scholarly journals Uganda Mountain Community Health System—Perspectives and Capacities towards Emerging Infectious Disease Surveillance

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8562
Author(s):  
Aggrey Siya ◽  
Richardson Mafigiri ◽  
Richard Migisha ◽  
Rebekah C. Kading
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Disease Response ◽  
Mount Elgon ◽  
Public Health Hazards

In mountain communities like Sebei, Uganda, which are highly vulnerable to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, community-based surveillance plays an important role in the monitoring of public health hazards. In this survey, we explored capacities of village health teams (VHTs) in Sebei communities of Mount Elgon in undertaking surveillance tasks for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in the context of a changing climate. We used participatory epidemiology techniques to elucidate VHTs’ perceptions on climate change and public health and assessed their capacities to conduct surveillance for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Overall, VHTs perceived climate change to be occurring with wider impacts on public health. However, they had inadequate capacities in collecting surveillance data. The VHTs lacked transport to navigate through their communities and had insufficient capacities in using mobile phones for sending alerts. They did not engage in reporting other hazards related to the environment, wildlife, and domestic livestock that would accelerate infectious disease outbreaks. Records were not maintained for disease surveillance activities and the abilities of VHTs to analyze data were also limited. However, VHTs had access to platforms that could enable them to disseminate public health information. The VHTs thus need to be retooled to conduct their work effectively and efficiently through equipping them with adequate logistics and knowledge on collecting, storing, analyzing, and relaying data, which will improve infectious disease response and mitigation efforts.

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