Since 2015 the WHO has developed a list of diseases that cause the most harm and that we’re most unprepared for.
The blueprint of priority diseases.
You can check out the actual blueprint for 2018 that we researched here ► https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/2018prioritization-report.pdf?ua=1
And you can learn more about CEPI, the organization that actually uses the WHO blueprint to address diseases here ► https://www.who.int/medicines/ebola-treatment/TheCoalitionEpidemicPreparednessInnovations-an-overview.pdf
Recently the media was abuzz with talk of ‘Disease X,’ a mysterious illness that could spread across the world. And then…nothing happened. It turns out that people had misinterpreted the World Health Organization’s List of Blueprint priority diseases, which identifies the world’s most dangerous diseases in terms of potential for outbreaks or epidemics. There are diseases that are already known – like Ebola, MERS or SARS – and then a space for ‘disease x,’ any new disease which could evolve and pose the threat of a pandemic. By identifying them and planning out potential responses, the World Health Organization is able to better respond to disease outbreaks and contain the spread of illness. While it has been over 100 years since the 1918 Influenza epidemic where the H1N1 virus (aka Spanish Flu) devastated the world, new pathogens are constantly emerging – and the possibility of superbugs spreading across our ever-more-connected world makes the W.H.O.’s work vitally important.
In this Freethink video, host Alex Cardinale gives an in-depth look at how the Blueprint for Priority Diseases works–with guest scientist .
What do you think? Let us know in the comments – and if you liked this video, be sure to check out our series Superhuman, telling the inspiring stories of people at the front lines of medical innovation.
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