Anticipation. The World Health Organization (WHO) said (November 21) that it had brought together more than 300 experts to draw up a new list of pathogens capable of causing epidemics and pandemics and to study the threats that might arise from unknown viruses. , says AFP. The WHO’s goal is to update a list of pathogens used as a guide for research and development as well as for investments, including for the development of vaccines, screening tests and treatments. As part of this process, which started in mid-November, the WHO has brought together more than 300 scientists to study data on more than 25 families of viruses and bacteria. Scientists will focus in particular on “disease X”, an as yet unknown pathogen that might cause a serious global pandemic. “Targeting priority pathogens and virus families for research and development of countermeasures is essential for rapid and effective response to epidemics and pandemics,” said WHO Health Emergencies Officer Michael Ryan. . “Without significant investments in research and development before the Covid-19 pandemic, it would not have been possible to develop safe and effective vaccines in record time,” he noted. This list was first published in 2017. It currently includes Covid-19, Ebola virus, Lassa fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Zika and Nipah viruses and disease X. During their work, the experts will determine, for each pathogen identified as a priority, the current gaps in knowledge and the priorities for research. A roadmap for the development of vaccines, treatments and screening tests can then be developed. “The list of priority pathogens has become a reference for the research community”, indicating “where to focus efforts to manage the next threat”, explained Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientific officer of the WHO. The new revised list of pathogens must be made public before April 2023. In addition, the WHO is preparing for the next round of negotiations for an international treaty on the prevention of pandemics. An intergovernmental negotiating body is working to hammer out a global agreement on how countries prepare for and respond to future pandemic threats. Its next meeting, the third, will take place in Geneva from 5 to 7 December. This intergovernmental body will report on the progress of its work to WHO member countries in 2023, with the final text to be submitted to them for adoption in 2024.
