Pathogens, pandemics and parleys
The WHO and EU are urging Russia to provide transparent information regarding the death of a lab worker and potential plague cases. Russia has denied links to the plague, attributing the death to pneumonia while maintaining that no infectious outbreaks have occurred.
Why it matters
Global health security depends on transparent pathogen sharing, which is currently being challenged by geopolitical tensions.
On infectious disease outbreaks, healthcare regulation, mental health, preventive health, and more
Time and time again as we celebrate achievements in health care, a measurable pinnacle of which could be the Nobel for Physiology/ Medicine , a sobering dose indicating the power of pathogen is delivered to us. This time, with the reported case of all things, the plague, in Russia. This week we discovered that the entire issue is mired in mystery, with not much information being shared by the nation. What was clear during the COVI-19 pandemic was the absolute criticality of sharing information globally, but with every squeak about the break out of infectious disease. In fact the Pandemic Agreement includes an aspect of Pathogen Sharing and Benefits among member nations. However, practically, sometimes nations find it difficult to easily share information with the global community.
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