Emerging infectious diseases are infections that have newly appeared in a population or are rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range. Re-emerging infectious diseases are those that were previously under control but are now resurging due to factors such as antimicrobial resistance, vaccine hesitancy, climate change, and globalization.
The global landscape of public health is continually shaped by emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. From new viral threats like SARS-CoV-2 to the return of diseases such as measles and tuberculosis, these infections pose significant challenges to surveillance, response systems, and global health preparedness.
This session will examine:
- Epidemiological trends of new and re-emerging infections
- Factors driving disease emergence (urbanization, climate change, AMR)
- Lessons learned from pandemics (e.g., COVID-19, Ebola)
- Role of zoonotic spillovers and One Health approaches
- Innovations in disease modeling, forecasting, and early warning systems
- Vaccine and therapeutic strategies for emerging pathogens
- Global collaboration and preparedness frameworks (e.g., WHO, GAVI, CEPI)
Bringing together infectious disease experts, epidemiologists, clinicians, and public health leaders, this session aims to share best practices, novel tools, and collaborative strategies to mitigate future outbreaks.