Prioritizing Global Health

The effects of climate change and disease on human health is undeniable, as reflected in the increased urgency of multidisciplinary research in the area. Building a resilient global health ecosystem capable of withstanding emerging outbreaks is becoming imperative. For those living in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), this threat is exacerbated by gaps in infection prevention strategies and limited resources.

With this in mind, the International Society of Infectious Diseases (ISID) released a new global health priority list in June 2024, encapsulating some of the key issues in infectious disease control (1).

The priorities – selected based on their increasing urgency and global impact – are:

• The impending threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and untreatable infections
• The interplay of climate change and disease
• Pandemic preparedness, especially in LMICs
• The growing threat of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV
• The persistent challenge of tuberculosis
• Capacity-building for infectious disease research in LMICs

Each of these topics will have a dedicated presentation track at ISID’s 2024 Congress. “The list will hopefully encourage healthcare professionals to bring their latest research and experiences to this year’s ISID congress meeting in Cape Town to share with other professionals and the community,” says Paul Anantharajah Tambyah, President of ISID. “Fresh ideas from scientists, clinicians, veterinarians, and public health professionals could bring a distinctive perspective to the challenges we’re facing”.

The ISID global health priorities list is released alongside the WHO’s OneHealth initiative: a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach to balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems worldwide (2).

“The importance of regarding planetary health holistically rather than in isolation has become painfully apparent with recent avian influenza outbreaks,” Tambyah exclaims. “Control of these infections is not possible without an integrated OneHealth approach, which plays an important role in tackling the six global health priorities”.

With the adoption of these six global health priorities and the OneHealth approach, we could see a positive change in our battle against infectious disease.