World leaders and officials from across the globe are set to gather at the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Switzerland next week to discuss preparations for the next global pandemic, referred to as 'Disease X'. Experts have issued warnings that this hypothetical disease could potentially cause 20 times more casualties compared to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been alerting about the potential threat of Disease X since 2017, which represents an unknown pathogen capable of triggering a severe international epidemic. The aim of the discussion is to establish a proper research framework and enhance global knowledge to eliminate a future pandemic within a span of just 100 days.

In a prior interview on the WEF's Radio Davos podcast, author Kate Kelland emphasized the importance of conducting extensive research on known families of viruses to better prepare and develop vaccines swiftly for future outbreaks. Kelland highlighted how scientists' decades-long work on Sars and Mers vaccines had yielded vital information about coronaviruses, underscoring the significance of advancing similar research across the 25 viral families known to harbor potential threats to human health.

As an example of preparedness, Kelland cited the existence of a vaccine for monkeypox before the outbreak occurred in 2022. The vaccine was already in place due to its similarity to smallpox within the same viral family. Dame Kate Bingham, a former member of the UK's vaccine panel, has previously cautioned that Disease X could result in 20 times more fatalities than those caused by Covid-19, potentially claiming up to 50 million lives.

The 'Preparing for Disease X' event scheduled for next Wednesday will feature prominent speakers such as Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, Brazilian Minister of Health Nisia Trindade Lima, and Michel Demaré, chair of the board at AstraZeneca. The intention is to harness collective expertise and develop strategies to mitigate the risks associated with unknown pathogens.

During their first post-pandemic meeting in November 2022, the WHO convened over 300 scientists to identify potential virus families and bacteria that could spark another pandemic. This comprehensive list included well-known threats such as Ebola, Marburg, Covid-19, SARS, and MERS-CoV, alongside other infectious diseases like lassa fever, nipah and henipaviral diseases, zift Valley fever, Zika, and the elusive 'Disease X'.

The upcoming Davos summit serves as an important platform for global leaders to unite and prioritize preparations for a future pandemic as they address the formidable challenge of Disease X. With increased research and knowledge sharing, the international community hopes to be better equipped to respond effectively and swiftly when faced with the potential outbreak of an unknown pathogen.