Time Magazine here are at least two major viral outbreaks underway in the world right now: the Andes hantavirus outbreak that began on a cruise ship and now involves people from more than 20 countries, and the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which was only very recently announced but which has already killed 131 people and crossed at least one border. No vaccines exist yet for either of these rare strains of already rare diseases.
The world is underprepared for threats that are already here, global-health experts argue. Will we be ready for whatever comes next? This is the type of question that consumes the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a group of world governments, pharmaceutical companies, and foundations, which hosted a gathering at the 79th session of the World Health Organization’s World Health Assembly in Geneva on May 19. “We now have the chance, and I would say the responsibility, to change what happens next,” said Jane Halton, CEPI’s chair, at the session. “My call to everyone here today—to all of your organizations, all of your governments—is simple but urgent. The threats are out there. So let’s secure the future together. Let’s build a world where the next viral outbreak to pose a pandemic threat meets systems that are ready.”
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