Travel helping infectious diseases spread faster: WHO

Margaret Chan (Director General of the World Health Organization).
This is the era when we are more connected than ever. Billions of people travel each year and the number is increasing on a large scale. While we travel, we meet many other passengers. But can you imagine the amount of airborne ailments accompanying some of those passengers?
The World Health Organization (WHO) can certainly imagine it. According to the annual report (World Health Report 2007) launched by the WHO, infectious diseases are spreading geographically on a much faster rate than ever. Travel is one of the new conduits for the spread of diseases. WHO warned that if a watch is not kept for new threats, there is a possibility that another major scourge like AIDS, SARS or Ebola fever would appear in the coming years.
Airlines carry large number of people from one place to another and it is not only the passengers that airlines carry, they also carry large number of diseases via passengers. In 2003, the outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) spread from China to Hong Kong and then on to Singapore and Canada via airline passengers.
who report
The present thrust of WHO’s efforts to protect global health is the revision of voluntary regulations (International Health Regulations) which came into effect in June.
This is not the first time that WHO has come up with the report showing the spread of diseases. In 1951, WHO issued its first set of health regulations to prevent the international spread of diseases. But at that time the situation was stable as people traveled internationally by ship, slowing the spread of diseases around the world. Moreover, new diseases were rare. But today, more convenient and fastest ways of commuting are increasing the risk of an outbreak or epidemic in any part of the planet in just few hours time.
WHO’s annual report also insists on countries to share viruses to help develop vaccines and to tighten domestic efforts to combat disease outbreaks. We definitely are not ready for another major scourge like AIDS, SARS or Ebola fever. Improved international cooperation and communication, combined efforts of the countries can help fighting dangerous health crises if governments follow revised regulations by WHO. We can just hope that we don’t have to face another challenge in the form of one major scourge and WHO succeeds in its efforts for A Safer Future.
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Source: IHT
Tags: World Health Report 2007, International Health Regulations, A Safer Future, Travel