WHO chief warns of emerging new diseases

Margaret Chan, head of the World Health Organization (WHO), delivered a speech at a luncheon hosted by Asia Society Hong Kong Center on Dec. 20th, 2012. (APD/Pan Jie).

“The future looks very bright for microbes and is not so good for humanity, Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), said Thursday in Hong Kong.

Speaking at a luncheon hosted by Asia Society Hong Kong Center, Chan said that changes in the way human inhabit the planet have given microbes multiple opportunities to exploit. As a result, new diseases are emerging at an alarming pace, raising the risk of global-scale infection and posing threats to human beings living in a wired world.

The WHO chief cited such changes as “unprecedented population density, the industrialization of food production, people living almost nose-to-nose with domestic animals, incursions into previously uninhabited jungles and rain forests, as well as eating of bush meat and, the phenomenal increases in international travel and trade.

These trends which are very difficult to reverse provide opportunities for microbes to “jump the species barrier, spread to new areas and become established there, or develop resistance to mainstay antibiotics, Chan said, adding that there are more than one new disease emerging each year for the past three decades.

**Animal diseases threaten humans **

Chan warned of the animal disease which could cause epidemics among human beings, citing that over 70 percent of new diseases in the past three decades come from the animal sector, including SARS, swine influenza and bird flu.

“The way poultry is raised is one area of concern, she said, stressing the importance of bio-security and bio-safety measures of raising poultry. For cultural reasons, people in many Asian countries live with chickens, pigs and other poultries in small areas. This habit, according to Chan, could be conducive for new diseases to emerge. “So it is important to look at the environment, the cultural practice, and the human-animal interface and make sure that ecosystem is properly managed, she said.

She suggested that the health sector and the agricultural sector should work together to make sure the human-animal interface is properly managed. Chan also warned people not to eat exotic meat, saying that as a cultural practice in southern China region it might be difficult to change.

**A global battle against disease **

Despite the certainty of emerging new diseases in years ahead, Chan said that not all diseases will be devastating and the most important preventative measure is to share timely information and develop global response capacity.

She said the combat of SARS in 2003 has revolutionarized people’s understanding of public health communication. As the director of Hong Kong Department of Health at that time, she recalled her daily media briefing on the update of the epidemic, which helps keep the media from sensationalizing the story and reassure Hong Kong residents.

“The outbreak was controlled using the world tested public interventions, namely early case detection, contact tracing, isolation and infection control, Chan said. “But it was clear the use of modern communication technology proves decisive.

Citing statistics on the significance of global sharing of information during the SARS outbreak, Chan said that countries and territories prior to the WHO alert accounted for 98 percent the global number of cases with 79 percent of total death, whereas the rest 26 places were much better prepared and geared up for further transmission.

The WHO has since been keeping a close eye on local epidemics which could cross the national boarder, through scanning the Internet, news feeds, blogs and chat rooms for rumors or hints of an outbreak. If seeing any such risk, WHO staffs would discuss with the country and start the investigation.

“There is no replacement of vigilance and preparedness. Chan said.

Margaret Chan

Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO)