Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Muskan Arora
In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, global attention has shifted to potentially more serious threat known as Disease X. This hypothetical pathogen serves as a placeholder for any unforeseen infectious disease that could trigger a future pandemic.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has included Disease X in its high-priority disease awareness campaigns, placing it alongside formidable threats such as Ebola and the Zika virus.
Coined to prompt international preparedness, Disease X serves as a cautionary term, urging the global community to ready itself for the potential emergence of a pathogen that could lead to an epidemic or pandemic more catastrophic than Covid-19.
In response to this looming threat, world leaders, including WHO Chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, are set to convene at the World Economic Forum in Davos to discuss strategies for tackling Disease X in a session titled "Preparing for Disease X."
Scientists are actively engaged in developing platform technologies that could be swiftly adapted to combat Disease X. Researchers from the University of Oxford, for instance, are exploring modifications to the Covid-19 vaccine to address this potential pathogen.
The WHO underscores the significance of early research and development preparedness relevant to Disease X. Discussions in Davos are likely to emphasize strengthening international cooperation, coordination, governance, and investment.
While the WHO has not specified the identity of Disease X, experts suggest it is likely to be a respiratory virus, given the higher survival rates for such viruses. The WHO has created an R&D blueprint for various priority diseases, any of which could mutate and become Disease X. The current list includes zoonotic viruses present in India, such as Covid-19, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Ebola, and others.