The recent outbreaks of ebola in Africa and hantavirus on an international cruise ignited global health alerts and revived fears of a new crisis similar to that of COVID-19. Experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the planet is still not fully prepared to face future pandemics.

The former Prime Minister of New Zealand and pandemic preparedness specialist, Helen Clark, assured that although the international response has improved since the coronavirus crisis, There are still serious failures in surveillance, early detection and global coordination.

The WHO He even warned about a “dangerous time” marked by epidemic outbreaks, conflicts, economic crises and cuts in international aid, factors that could complicate the control of new diseases.

What is Ebola and why is it worrying?

He ebola It is a highly lethal viral disease that is transmitted through contact with infected body fluidssuch as blood, vomit or urine.

Currently, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing an outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain, a rare variant of the virus that has already left more than 130 suspected deaths.

The situation worries specialists because:

• There is no proven vaccine against this strain.
• There are also no specific treatments confirmed
• The first analyzes did not correctly detect the variant
• The outbreak raged for weeks before being identified
• There is a high risk of regional expansion into Uganda and South Sudan

Although the WHO ruled out a global pandemic for now, it did catalog the risk as “high” at the national and regional level.

What is hantavirus and how did the alert arise?

He hantavirus once again attracted international attention after an outbreak detected on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which left at least three dead and caused an international health alert.

This virus can be transmitted mainly by contact with feces, saliva or urine of infected rodents and can cause severe respiratory complications.

The WHO and health experts pointed out that the case of the cruise ship once again showed problems of prevention and epidemiological surveillance, since the region from which the ship departed It was already considered an endemic area.

He outbreak It generated concern because passengers disembarked in different countries, raising fears about possible international infections.

Experts warn that the world has not yet learned from COVID

Helen Clark warned that the main global problem remains lack of risk-based preparation.

The expert pointed out that many countries still lack solid epidemiological surveillance and early detection systems, something that was exposed both in the case of Ebola and hantavirus.

Furthermore, he warned that international cuts in health aid, especially after the reduction of funds from the United States and the weakening of organizations such as USAID, they are affecting the response capacity of poor countries.

The WHO He also acknowledged that divisions remain between developed and developing nations over how to confront future pandemics and share vaccines, treatments and medical technology.

The WHO rules out a pandemic… for now

Despite the warnings, specialists consider it unlikely that Ebola will reach a global spread similar to the COVID-19, because it is not transmitted through the air and requires close contact to become infected.

However, the combination of simultaneous outbreaks, weakened health systems and reduced international support maintains concern about the possibility of future global health emergencies.

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