WHO flags pandemic preparedness gaps

Helen Clark used a World Health Assembly session in Geneva on May 21 to warn that recent hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks showed the world was still not prepared for the next major health emergency. WHO’s daily update from the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly said delegates were still working through the mechanics of emergency preparedness and response as the meeting ran from May 18 to May 23. WHO has also issued recent outbreak notices on a hantavirus cluster linked to cruise ship travel and on Ebola activity in Central Africa. ### What did officials say in Geneva? The World Health Assembly’s May 21 daily update said emergency preparedness and response remained an active focus for member states during the annual meeting in Geneva. The update placed that work alongside broader debates on health security and surveillance during the six-day assembly. (who.int) Helen Clark, the former New Zealand prime minister and co-chair of WHO’s pandemic panel, said recent outbreaks showed the world was still not ready to protect all 8 billion people. That warning, reported during the assembly, tied the policy debate in Geneva to live outbreaks rather than hypothetical future risks. (who.int) ### Which outbreaks are driving the warning now? WHO said a hantavirus cluster linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship had reached 11 reported cases, including three deaths, as of May 13. The agency said eight cases were laboratory-confirmed for Andes virus infection, with additional cases reported from France and Spain and one inconclusive result in the United States. (who.int) WHO had earlier said the cluster was first reported on May 2 after severe respiratory illness was identified aboard the ship. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on May 7 that the organization was developing operational guidance for safe disembarkation and onward travel of passengers and crew. ### Why is the Bundibugyo Ebola strain a particular problem? (who.int) Infection Control Today reported on May 20 that the Bundibugyo-strain Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda had exposed a gap in available countermeasures. The publication said there is no licensed vaccine or approved treatment for that strain, leaving hospitals to rely on infection-control procedures, isolation capacity and staff readiness rather than proven medical products. (who.int) The same report said facilities were being forced to reopen and test high-consequence infectious-disease response plans that in some cases had not been updated since 2015. That means preparedness is being measured in practical terms such as triage, protective equipment, laboratory handling and patient transfer protocols, according to the report. (infectioncontroltoday.com) ### How are countries responding on the ground? Zambia said this week it had expanded capacity-building efforts with WHO and partners to strengthen emergency readiness. Africa.com reported that the work included Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response training, Go.Data deployment and pandemic influenza preparedness measures. (infectioncontroltoday.com) The Zambia effort focused on frontline surveillance, case detection and coordination systems that can be used across outbreaks rather than for a single pathogen. That approach reflects the kind of operational readiness WHO member states have been discussing in Geneva this week. ### What comes next after this week’s warnings? (africa.com) The Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly is scheduled to conclude on May 23 in Geneva, and WHO said proceedings are being webcast with daily updates published on its assembly page. Those updates are expected to show what member states agreed on preparedness, surveillance and emergency-response work before the meeting closes. (who.int) (africa.com)