The Ebola outbreak took over quicker than we could have imagined – not to mention how HIV and SARS took hold previously. The Obama administration doesn’t want to be blindsided again, so they’re putting the CDC to work with a Global Health Security Agenda with a requested $600 million.
“It’s really urgent that we address the weak links and blind spots around the world,” Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Associated Press. “Ebola is a powerful reminder that a health threat anywhere can affect us.”
The Ebola outbreak has been shocking for many people, and we really didn’t see it coming, even though it had been in the works for a while. But what if this has been nothing compared to what could be coming in our future? What other viruses and diseases should we be prepared for?
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
If bird flu ever mutates to spread between people, “we better look out. It will make Ebola look like a picnic,” Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, warned a recent Senate Appropriations Committee as he questioned whether $600 million was enough to do the job.
This money would be well spent, considering we aren’t as prepare as we might hope to be. So much so that less than 20 percent of countries have reported meeting World Health Organization requirements indicating that they are adequately prepared to respond to emerging infectious threats.
Can you really put a price on avoiding a major outbreak? The Obama administration is at least stepping up, but it’s difficult to know what we could all be potentially facing next.
[Photo from flickr user hitthatswitch]
