Latest news with #pandemics
Khaleej Times
25-06-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
From Tunis to the region: One Health must now move from words to action
When we gathered in Tunis for the first One Health Mena Conference, it was with a shared sense of urgency — but also with a shared recognition of responsibility. The health threats facing our region are no longer distant risks or isolated events. Over the past years, we have witnessed the far-reaching consequences of pandemics, the silent escalation of antimicrobial resistance, the accelerating impacts of climate change, and the alarming erosion of biodiversity. These challenges are deeply interconnected. They cross borders and sectors, demanding responses that are equally integrated, coordinated, and forward-looking. This is precisely why One Health can no longer remain a theoretical aspiration, or a technical concept discussed only in specialised forums. It must become the foundation of how we think about health security in the 21st century — an approach that acknowledges the profound links between human health, animal health, environmental stability, and food systems. In Tunis, this shared conviction was translated into action through the adoption of the Carthage Declaration for One Health, voluntarily endorsed by all participating countries. The declaration sets out a flexible but ambitious roadmap, one that respects the diversity of national realities while promoting joint action. It focuses on four key pillars: early warning and joint surveillance, integrated vaccination, systematic health and environmental data sharing, and robust capacity building. But declarations alone are not enough. As recent global crises have shown us, it takes sustained political will, long-term investment, and strong regional cooperation to turn commitments into concrete results. There is indeed strong political will today, along with a clear commitment to working together, and I believe the Carthage Declaration provides us with the political basis to take this agenda forward. But now we need to move beyond words. The real test lies in how we operationalise these frameworks — how we get governments, supported by international organizations, to work together in a much more coordinated and holistic way to address One Health for the future of our societies and to prevent pandemics at their earliest stages. The road ahead is not only about strategy; it is about execution. For Tunisia, this conference marks not an end point, but the beginning of a long-term strategic journey. We are committed to establishing a Regional Centre for One Health in Tunis, to serve as a platform for North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean — fostering dialogue, facilitating expertise exchange, strengthening surveillance systems, and supporting joint research and training efforts across countries. Throughout the discussions in Tunis, clear regional priorities emerged: improving joint surveillance for zoonotic and cross-border diseases; addressing antimicrobial resistance through close coordination across health, agriculture and environment; improving food safety and security; and understanding and responding to the health consequences of climate change, particularly in fragile settings. These are complex, deeply connected challenges that require breaking down silos and building trust among institutions. Looking ahead, it is essential we engage in a serious dialogue on investment in One Health. While others may articulate the scientific and technical dimensions of One Health, I want to stress the urgent need to ensure adequate and sustained financing of this agenda. One Health is both complex and unique. Its complexity stems from the multiple sectors involved — human health, animal health, agriculture, and environment — each with its own priorities, structures, and funding needs. The benefits of investing in One Health are broad and long-term — yet they are not always easily quantified. Nevertheless, this should not delay or discourage action. The unique nature of One Health also lies in the combination of public and private sector responsibilities. The public sector plays an essential role — from research and preparedness to surveillance, regulation, and safeguarding public goods. Yet scaling up One Health investments requires active engagement of the private sector — not as an afterthought, but as an integral partner. Whether in infrastructure, supply chains, technology, or service delivery, there are significant opportunities where private sector expertise and investment can complement public sector leadership. The financial realities facing many countries in our region make this collaboration not only desirable, but necessary. It is time to move beyond framing One Health only as a public sector responsibility. We must start talking about the business of One Health: about shared value, co-investment, and building sustainable models that deliver both public good and economic opportunity. Encouragingly, we are already witnessing strong signals of confidence from our development partners. The World Bank and the Pandemic Fund have provided dedicated financing to support Tunisia's national One Health roadmap, helping us strengthen our multi-sectoral coordination and readiness. During the conference, we also advanced bilateral dialogue with neighboring countries — Algeria, Libya, and Palestine — identifying concrete areas for cooperation, including pharmaceutical manufacturing, preventive health, technical training, and skills exchange. The momentum is here. Our citizens deserve health systems that are ready, resilient, and able to withstand the complex health threats of tomorrow. One Health offers a blueprint. But real success will require all of us — governments, international partners, private actors, scientists, and civil society — to move from declarations to sustained action. You came to Tunis to join the conversation. Now it is time to join the action. This is a call to all governments in the Mena region: let us move forward, together, from dialogue to delivery — for the health security of our region, and for the generations to come. Dr Mustapha Ferjani is Minister of Health, Tunisia.
Wall Street Journal
16-06-2025
- Health
- Wall Street Journal
Why Is Everything an Existential Crisis?
So-called existential risks seem to be everywhere. Climate change, artificial intelligence, nuclear war, pandemics and more threaten to return us to nothingness. Most people using this term aren't consciously evoking the philosophy of Sartre or Camus. Still, they may be drawing on associations with existentialism more than they realize and unconsciously expressing deeper concerns about morality and meaning. In psychoanalysis, it isn't unusual for a word to have an unconscious double meaning. For example, a patient in therapy might say that she can't 'bear' children. She could consciously mean that she's unable to get pregnant, while also unconsciously communicating that she can't stand children. Or a grieving patient who's struggling to find the right word might say, 'I'm at a loss.'
Zawya
13-06-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Tunisia to host 1st MENA Region "One Health" Conference June 14-15
Tunis – Tunisia is hosting the first MENA Region 'One Health' Conference on June 14 and 15, with the participation of 17 regional countries and 40 high-level officials, including 10 ministers representing health, agriculture, and environment sectors, as well as directors-general, ministry representatives, and UN officials, announced Hechmi Louzir, president of the conference's scientific committee. The conference will also bring together representatives from international organisations such as the World Bank (the event's funder), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). During a press conference held Thursday at the Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Louzir emphasised that this event presents a key opportunity to enhance regional and international cooperation in tackling emerging pandemics and diseases through a unified approach linking health, environment, and agriculture sectors. He noted that Tunisia will propose the "Carthage Declaration for One Health," a joint pact between health, agriculture, and environment ministries, which has already been shared with participating countries. The declaration aims to establish core principles of the "One Health" approach through collective stakeholder engagement. "The adoption of this declaration by conference participants is expected," he added. Louzir highlighted that the "One Health" approach has become essential, given that over 70% of human diseases originate from animals. Hosting this conference in Tunisia will help produce concrete recommendations and develop effective strategies to combat pandemics, he said. Abderrazek Bouzouita, Director-General of Health at the Ministry of Health, stressed that the "One Health" approach will unify efforts and policies at national, regional, and international levels, especially as climate change and new diseases threaten ecosystems. He added that the conference aims to strengthen partnerships, **share expertise and produce a joint declaration to implement decisions across sectors. Wahib Mehri, Director-General of Veterinary Services at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources, emphasised the need for a dedicated structure to ensure coordination between health, agriculture, and environment ministries, enabling real-time data sharing to prevent disease outbreaks. Mosbah Abaza, Director-General of Sustainable Development at the Ministry of Environment, pointed out the interconnectedness of environmental, agricultural, and health systems, warning that disruptions in one sector can severely impact others. The ministry plays a key role in "One Health" through wastewater treatment, waste management, and coastal protection initiatives, he said.
Gizmodo
05-06-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
This Genetic ‘Trick' Helped the Black Death Linger for Centuries
Yersinia pestis—the bacterium that causes the bubonic plague—experienced a genetic tweak that allowed rodents to live longer after they were infected, according to a new study. This alteration may have prolonged two significant plague pandemics, including the deadliest event in human history: the Black Death. Researchers at the Institut Pasteur in France and McMaster University in Canada studied hundreds of ancient Y. pestis DNA samples to investigate a gene called 'pla.' Their study, published May 29 in the journal Science, identified a decrease in repetitions of the pla gene in the Y. pestis genome during the later stages of both the first and second major plague pandemics. The researchers believe these pla depletions ultimately allowed these pandemics to last longer. The first plague pandemic, known as the Plague of Justinian, struck the Mediterranean basin during the sixth century and caused tens of millions of deaths over the course of two centuries. The second emerged when the Black Death broke out in 1347, killing an estimated 30% to 50% of Europe's population in just six years. But this was just the beginning. Like the first pandemic, this plague continued to reemerge for centuries, lasting more than 500 years. This newly discovered evolution of the pla gene offers more insight into how these plagues persisted for so long. The pla gene appears many times in the Y. pestis' genome and plays a crucial role in its virulence by allowing it to infect the lymph nodes before traveling to the rest of the body, according to an Institut Pasteur statement. This causes rapid septicemia—or blood poisoning—and quickly kills the victim. Therefore, a lack of this gene in Y. pestis strains from the first and second major pandemics likely made the bacterium less virulent, the researchers suggest. To test that hypothesis, they infected mice with three preserved strains of Y. pestis from the third major pandemic that also had fewer repetitions of pla. 'These three samples enabled us to analyze the biological impact of these pla gene deletions,' said co-author Javier Pizarro-Cerdá, director of the Yersinia Research Unit at the Institut Pasteur, according to the statement. Through their mouse model, Pizarro-Cerdá and his colleagues found that the pla depletion resulted in a 20% decrease in victim mortality. What's more, it allowed infected rodents to live significantly longer. Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that rats infected with pla-depleted Y. pestis strains may have been more effective disease vectors, as they had more time to spread the plague far and wide before they died. Rodents—particularly rats—played a critical role in spreading the bubonic plague to humans. People most commonly contract this disease via infected flea bites, and fleas typically contract it when they feed on infected rodents. Thus, an increase in the lifespans of sickened rodents would have provided greater opportunity for fleas to bite them, become infected, and then bite humans. 'Ours is one of the first research studies to directly examine changes in an ancient pathogen, one we still see today, in an attempt to understand what drives the virulence, persistence, and eventual extinction of pandemics,' said co-lead author Hendrik Poinar, director of the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre and holder of the Michael G. DeGroote Chair in Genetic Anthropology, according to the statement. Today, the bubonic plague is considered a rare disease, though a small number of cases still emerge in western North America, Africa, Asia, and South America, according to the Cleveland Clinic. While this research provides valuable insight into the evolutionary history of Y. pestis and the world-altering pandemics it caused, it can also serve as a model for better understanding how deadly diseases emerge and spread, according to the researchers.
Zawya
21-05-2025
- Health
- Zawya
FIND Statement Regarding Livestream Hack at the World Health Assembly (WHA) Diagnostic Day Event
We are sorry that FIND's Diagnostic Day event ( livestream at the World Health Assembly was interrupted by hackers today. The goal of the meeting is to bring together world leaders together to discuss the future of diagnostics, a mission that is critical in a world at increasing risk of disease outbreaks and pandemics. To ensure that this crucial conversation continues, FIND sent a new livestream link to participants. We appreciate partners' patience and look forward to driving forward momentum around FIND's efforts to drive innovation and access to diagnostics. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FIND.
