Hyderabad: Epidemics and pandemics are some of the biggest threats to a safe and healthy world. They are on the rise, and in today’s connected world, they are spreading further and faster than ever before.
International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, observed on December 27, highlights the urgent need to invest in systems that can prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.
History of the Day
The first-ever International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, held on 27 December 2020 was called for by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate the importance of the prevention of, preparedness for and partnership against epidemics.
What is an Epidemic?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the occurrence in a community or region of cases of illness, specific health-related behaviour, or other health-related events is more than normal expectancy. The community or region and the period in which the cases occur are specified precisely. The number of cases indicating the presence of an epidemic varies according to the agent, size, type of population exposed, previous experience or lack of exposure to the disease, and time and place of occurrence.
Deadliest Epidemic in History
- Antonine Plague (165 Ad)
The Antonine Plague, also known as the Plague of Galen (after the doctor who described it), decimated the Roman Empire. It was brought to Rome by armies returning from western Asia, causing fevers, skin sores, diarrhoea and sore throats. This unknown disease was brought back to Rome by soldiers returning from Mesopotamia around 165AD; unknowingly, they had spread a disease which would end up killing over five million people and decimating the Roman army.
- Plague Of Justinian (541-542)
Thought to have killed perhaps half the population of Europe, the Plague of Justinian was an outbreak of the bubonic plague that afflicted the Byzantine Empire and Mediterranean port cities, killing up to 25 million people in its year-long reign of terror.
• The Black Death (1346-1353)
Black Death, a pandemic that ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351, took a proportionately greater toll on life than any other known epidemic or war up to that time. An outbreak of the Plague ravaged Europe, Africa, and Asia, with an estimated death toll between 75 and 200 million people. Ports being major urban centres at the time, were the perfect breeding ground for the rats and fleas, and thus the insidious bacterium flourished, devastating three continents in its wake.
- New World Smallpox: (1520–early 1600s)
Smallpox had been a familiar scourge in many parts of the world for centuries when the first Europeans arrived on American shores. 20-60% of those infected in Europe died. Survivors emerged immune. The outbreak seeded by first contact was catastrophic, but it was only the first volley. Waves of infection broke on the continent for decades. Whoever didn’t die of smallpox was killed by the imported influenza that chased the smallpox or the measles epidemic that surged in its wake.
- The Spanish Flu (1918-1919)
The Spanish flu was an influenza pandemic that spread around the world between 1918 and 1919, according to the CDC. It was caused by an H1N1 virus, with an avian (bird) origin, though it's unclear exactly where the virus originated. The CDC estimates that about 500 million people (or one-third of the world’s population) became infected with the virus. It ultimately caused least 50 million deaths worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States.
- HIV/AIDS Pandemic(1976)
First identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1976, HIV/AIDS has truly proven itself as a global pandemic, killing more than 36 million people since 1981. Between 2005 and 2012 the annual global deaths from HIV/AIDS dropped from 2.2 million to 1.6 million. During 2005-2012 this pandemic was at pinnacle.
- COVID-19 (2020 – current)
In December 2019, a series of unusual pneumonia cases cropped up in Wuhan, China. In late January 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 a global health emergency. By March, there were cases in 114 countries. Nations around the world cascaded into lockdown. A year and a half later, 17 million people are estimated to have died; many survivors have lingering symptoms. The risks of the pandemic – of the social and economic disruptions, the psychological toll on healthcare workers across the world, and the deepening global inequality due to uneven vaccine access – are still resolving.
Some of the Worst Epidemics in India
1915 – 1926: Encephalitis Lethargica
1918 – 1920: Spanish Flu
1961 – 1975: Cholera pandemic
1968 – 1969: Flu Pandemic
1974 – Smallpox Epidemic
1994– Plague in Surat
2002– 2004: SARS
2006– Dengue and Chikungunya Outbreak
2009– Gujarat Hepatitis Outbreak
2014– 2015: Odisha Jaundice Outbreak
2014– 2015: Swine flu outbreak
2017– Encephalitis outbreak
2018– Nipah Virus outbreak
2019– Coronavirus
In the course of human history, epidemics have been responsible for millions of deaths. Epidemics occur worldwide. Their magnitude and their consequences depend on the disease in question (causative agent), the people or animals affected (host), and how the disease is spread (mode of transmission).
Epidemics can be limited or can spread across continents (pandemics). However, they tend to occur more frequently or to have more severe consequences in populations that have experienced natural disasters, armed conflict, or displacement, that have poor sanitation or lack a secure food and water supply, or whose health system is underdeveloped or has been devastated.
Populations that suffer from other health conditions, including malnutrition or low vaccine coverage, are also more vulnerable to epidemics. It is important to involve communities in epidemic control and to understand local cultural practices. Establishing trust and good communication between the community, volunteers and other stakeholders is critical for successful epidemic control.
