Dengue and Chikungunya are widespread diseases that require close attention in India, said an eminent scientist and international expert on Ebola, Peter Piot. These diseases are growing rapidly and affecting more people by the day.
India was not at the risk of the Ebola outbreak but many such outbreaks have taken place in the past, including swine flu and bird flu. Mr. Piot, co-discoverer of the Ebola virus and Director, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM,) said the same during his lecture at the Indian Institute of Public Health-Hyderabad (IIPH-H) in Hyderabad yesterday.
“There is a need for countries to build better and more responsive health systems and services. This calls for synergies among NGOs, communities, inter-governmental coalitions for a more systematic approach. Overall, if we focus more on preparedness and human rights, we will accomplish more,” a release from IIPH quoted Mr. Piot as saying.
He also said that the threat of the viruses might be increased by the ecological change, climate change, global mobility, human demographics, pollution and other such causes. Mode of transmission varies from virus to virus but the stigma and information related to the disease determine how the epidemic is controlled.
“In 1976, when the first Ebola outbreak took place, only a few short articles made it to international news, whereas in the age of 24 hour news channels and social media, connectivity should quicken the pace of reaching out to the public with ‘risk communication messages’, he said.
President of Public Health Foundation of India K. Srinath Reddy was also present at this event.
