In this turbulent world, it’s tempting to move on and forget the difficult days of COVID-19. Although the impact of the COVID pandemic is far-reaching, and for many, ongoing, as priorities shift, people are thinking less about the last pandemic or the possibility of another one. We risk falling into yet another cycle of panic and neglect. In episode 6 of Not If, But When, we ask, what are the challenges for the public health experts trying to apply the lessons of the last pandemic, and working to strengthen the global systems for preventing future ones?We speak to Catherine Smallwood, former WHO Regional Office for Europe’s Senior Emergency Officer and Programme Manager (Emergency Operations), about the systems in place that guide health emergency preparedness and response.We hear from Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO&apos;s Health Emergencies Programme, about why, despite increasing and overlapping emergencies, he’s optimistic that the world will find ways to work together to combat global threats.

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this turbulent world, it’s tempting to move on and forget the difficult days of COVID-19. Although the impact of the COVID pandemic is far-reaching, and for many, ongoing, as priorities shift, people are thinking less about the last pandemic or the possibility of another one. We risk falling into yet another cycle of panic and neglect. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In episode 6 of Not If, But When, we ask, what are the challenges for the public health experts trying to apply the lessons of the last pandemic, and working to strengthen the global systems for preventing future ones?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We speak to Catherine Smallwood, former WHO Regional Office for Europe’s Senior Emergency Officer and Programme Manager (Emergency Operations), about the systems in place that guide health emergency preparedness and response.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We hear from Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO&amp;apos;s Health Emergencies Programme, about why, despite increasing and overlapping emergencies, he’s optimistic that the world will find ways to work together to combat global threats.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this turbulent world, it’s tempting to move on and forget the difficult days of COVID-19. Although the impact of the COVID pandemic is far-reaching, and for many, ongoing, as priorities shift, people are thinking less about the last pandemic or the possibility of another one. We risk falling into yet another cycle of panic and neglect. In episode 6 of Not If, But When, we ask, what are the challenges for the public health experts trying to apply the lessons of the last pandemic, and w...

Learning lessons from the last pandemic

In tropical and subtropical countries, the virus causing dengue is spiking. Close to an historic high of over 6 million cases and more than 7,000 dengue-related deaths were reported in over 80 countries and territories in 2023. Most places in Europe remain too cool to favour the mosquito or the virus, but imported dengue cases have been rising in the European region and the impact of climate change appears to be shifting the picture. To find out more about dengue and the family of viruses it belongs to, called arboviruses, Alice Allan speaks to Marc-Alain Widdowson, high threat pathogens technical lead at the WHO Regional Office for Europe and medical entomologist Luca Facchinelli. To learn more about Italy’s work on dengue prevention and communication, she speaks to Flavia Riccardo, an epidemiologist in the Infectious Disease Department of the Italian National Institute of Health, and her colleague from the Institute’s press office, Pier David Malloni.

<description>&lt;p&gt;In tropical and subtropical countries, the virus causing dengue is spiking. Close to an historic high of over 6 million cases and more than 7,000 dengue-related deaths were reported in over 80 countries and territories in 2023. Most places in Europe remain too cool to favour the mosquito or the virus, but imported dengue cases have been rising in the European region and the impact of climate change appears to be shifting the picture. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To find out more about dengue and the family of viruses it belongs to, called arboviruses, Alice Allan speaks to Marc-Alain Widdowson, high threat pathogens technical lead at the WHO Regional Office for Europe and medical entomologist Luca Facchinelli. To learn more about Italy’s work on dengue prevention and communication, she speaks to Flavia Riccardo, an epidemiologist in the Infectious Disease Department of the Italian National Institute of Health, and her colleague from the Institute’s press office, Pier David Malloni. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

In tropical and subtropical countries, the virus causing dengue is spiking. Close to an historic high of over 6 million cases and more than 7,000 dengue-related deaths were reported in over 80 countries and territories in 2023. Most places in Europe remain too cool to favour the mosquito or the virus, but imported dengue cases have been rising in the European region and the impact of climate change appears to be shifting the picture. To find out more about dengue and the family of viruse...

Dengue

The first of the three influenza pandemics that occurred in the 20th century is estimated to have killed over 50 million people.  Based on scientific advances, what do we know about the 1918-20 pandemic? What lessons does it teach about preventing pandemics and containing outbreaks when they do occur?<ul><li>Richard Pebody, director clinical and emerging infections of the UKs health security agency, explores the deadly 1918-20 pandemic. </li><li>Thorsten Wolff, head of the Division for Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses, talks us through the scientific discoveries that helped to explain the virus that caused the 1918-20 pandemic, and the ongoing work of the National Influenza centre in Berlin. </li><li>Nicola Lewis, Director of the Worldwide Centre for Influenza at the Francis Crick Institute, UK, explains their work to monitor seasonal flu and pick up changes in flu strains that could have pandemic potential.</li></ul>

<description>&lt;p&gt;The first of the three influenza pandemics that occurred in the 20th century is estimated to have killed over 50 million people.  Based on scientific advances, what do we know about the 1918-20 pandemic? What lessons does it teach about preventing pandemics and containing outbreaks when they do occur?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Richard Pebody, director clinical and emerging infections of the UKs health security agency, explores the deadly 1918-20 pandemic. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Thorsten Wolff, head of the Division for Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses, talks us through the scientific discoveries that helped to explain the virus that caused the 1918-20 pandemic, and the ongoing work of the National Influenza centre in Berlin. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Nicola Lewis, Director of the Worldwide Centre for Influenza at the Francis Crick Institute, UK, explains their work to monitor seasonal flu and pick up changes in flu strains that could have pandemic potential.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</description>

The first of the three influenza pandemics that occurred in the 20th century is estimated to have killed over 50 million people.  Based on scientific advances, what do we know about the 1918-20 pandemic? What lessons does it teach about preventing pandemics and containing outbreaks when they do occur?Richard Pebody, director clinical and emerging infections of the UKs health security agency, explores the deadly 1918-20 pandemic. Thorsten Wolff, head of the Division for Influenza and...

Influenza past, present and future

The 2022 mpox outbreak has taught public health authorities a lot about the value of working with communities on important areas like testing, vaccination, and risk communication. Lessons that can be applied to other disease outbreaks.Mpox is back in the news; there are sporadic clusters of cases in our region, and, in Central and West Africa, two strains of the virus continue to cause suffering and death. In this episode, we speak to Rosamund Lewis, Emergency Manager &amp; Technical Lead for the global mpox response at WHO Headquarters, about the current situation. Cristiana Salvi, who leads the Risk Communication and Community Engagement unit for WHO regional Office for Europe explains the importance of community insights in the mpox response. We also hear from epidemiologist Mateo Prochaska Nunez on the combination of factors that brought the outbreak under control and the measures needed to keep the virus in check.

<description>&lt;p&gt;The 2022 mpox outbreak has taught public health authorities a lot about the value of working with communities on important areas like testing, vaccination, and risk communication. Lessons that can be applied to other disease outbreaks.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mpox is back in the news; there are sporadic clusters of cases in our region, and, in Central and West Africa, two strains of the virus continue to cause suffering and death. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, we speak to Rosamund Lewis, Emergency Manager &amp;amp; Technical Lead for the global mpox response at WHO Headquarters, about the current situation. Cristiana Salvi, who leads the Risk Communication and Community Engagement unit for WHO regional Office for Europe explains the importance of community insights in the mpox response. We also hear from epidemiologist Mateo Prochaska Nunez on the combination of factors that brought the outbreak under control and the measures needed to keep the virus in check.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The 2022 mpox outbreak has taught public health authorities a lot about the value of working with communities on important areas like testing, vaccination, and risk communication. Lessons that can be applied to other disease outbreaks.Mpox is back in the news; there are sporadic clusters of cases in our region, and, in Central and West Africa, two strains of the virus continue to cause suffering and death. In this episode, we speak to Rosamund Lewis, Emergency Manager &amp; Technical Lea...

Mpox

In this episode, we are putting a special focus on the H5N1 bird flu. We explore the ongoing efforts to prepare for future pandemics by speaking with experts like Peter Sousa Hoejskov, who explains the constant risk of zoonotic diseases jumping from animals to humans, and Maria van Kerkhove, who emphasizes the importance of global surveillance and preparedness in the face of potential influenza pandemics. The discussion sheds light on how close human-animal interactions, even in regions like Europe, keep the threat of these diseases ever-present.The insightful contributions from leading scientists provide a comprehensive understanding of why we must remain vigilant and proactive. Tune in to Health in Europe with host Alice Allan to discover what’s being done to protect us all from the  next pandemic - not if but when. (Interviews for this podcast were recorded in early May 2024)

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode, we are putting a special focus on the H5N1 bird flu. We explore the ongoing efforts to prepare for future pandemics by speaking with experts like Peter Sousa Hoejskov, who explains the constant risk of zoonotic diseases jumping from animals to humans, and Maria van Kerkhove, who emphasizes the importance of global surveillance and preparedness in the face of potential influenza pandemics. The discussion sheds light on how close human-animal interactions, even in regions like Europe, keep the threat of these diseases ever-present.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The insightful contributions from leading scientists provide a comprehensive understanding of why we must remain vigilant and proactive. Tune in to Health in Europe with host Alice Allan to discover what’s being done to protect us all from the  next pandemic - not if but when.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;(Interviews for this podcast were recorded in early May 2024)&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this episode, we are putting a special focus on the H5N1 bird flu. We explore the ongoing efforts to prepare for future pandemics by speaking with experts like Peter Sousa Hoejskov, who explains the constant risk of zoonotic diseases jumping from animals to humans, and Maria van Kerkhove, who emphasizes the importance of global surveillance and preparedness in the face of potential influenza pandemics. The discussion sheds light on how close human-animal interactions, even in regions like ...

H5N1 - The Bird Flu

Welcome to the Health In Europe podcast from the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. Our Region is broad and diverse. We work with fascinating and driven individuals and groups. This podcast is about hearing their stories and how it might impact your day-to-day life.

Health In Europe

Details

Recent Episodes