Preparing for future pandemic threats with PodTech™

In September 2024, the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition released the results of a survey of over 100 experts in epidemiology, virology and infectious diseases from around the world. This survey of experts addressed some of the most important questions of our post-Covid-19-pandemic times.

How prepared are we to deal with another pandemic?

What should we be doing to be better prepared for future disease outbreak threats?

What actions must the global health community take when a new viral threat is identified?

Their answers? Well, 90% of surveyed experts said that we are either the same or better prepared to deal with a pandemic than we were pre-Covid-19. 50% thought there was a bigger threat for a large-scale outbreak from a novel pathogen while the other half considered changes in known diseases like bird flu to have greater outbreak potential.

Regardless of the origin of the pathogen, it would have to have certain characteristics to be capable of causing a pandemic. A large majority of the surveyed experts believed that a pathogen with pandemic potential would have to be “highly transmissible”, “a novel virus with no countermeasures”, and cause “silent transmission”. They believed that “a known pathogen that’s now drug resistant” and pathogens with “high morbidity” and “high mortality” posed lower risk.

Take the H5N1, or bird flu virus, for instance. This highly pathogenic avian influenza isn’t highly transmissible between humans. We have countermeasures like treatments, diagnostics and vaccines against the disease. Moreover, the scientific community has been watching the evolution of this virus in animals for decades.

Currently the risk of widespread transmission of bird flu in humans is low, but consistent monitoring is key to preventing an outbreak, should circumstances change to enable human-to-human transmission.

Climate change increasing the threat of infectious disease outbreaks.

The threat of another pandemic is compounded by climate change. While climate change isn’t causing disease outbreaks, it is accelerating their spread. How so? By bringing disease-carrying animals and human beings in closer proximity due to higher temperatures and extreme weather events like floods.

Think mosquitoes. Climate change has made larger parts of the world hospitable to these disease-carrying vectors. The survey found that mosquito-borne diseases were among the greatest threats to human health, with 61% of surveyed experts stressing the risk of mosquito-borne pathogens over the threats posed by avian pathogens, animal pathogens, or ticks. 92% of respondents stated it was essential to track the widening geographical ranges of insects given their high correlation to infectious disease outbreaks. The dengue virus is a clear example, with its impact being felt well beyond its traditional confines of tropical areas.

Disease surveillance to identify emerging pandemic threats.

Surveillance programmes are crucial to the early identification of emerging pathogens and signals of an outbreak.

Some surveillance programmes are already in place, for both new and existing viruses. But experts reckon we need more – in fact, the survey respondents listed surveillance programmes to identify emerging pathogens as the foremost gap for investments in pandemic preparedness.

Disease surveillance is largely divided into two categories – active and passive surveillance. The former involves keeping an eye out for symptomatic cases, be it in the health system or among travellers at airports and other entry-points into a region. Meanwhile, passive surveillance deals with activities like wastewater surveillance, used to collect data over time about the evolution of known viruses like the flu or Covid-19. Choosing between different types of surveillance programmes is a matter of determining which activities will best support and preempt the health needs of each community.

The ingredients of effective pandemic preparedness.

The survey conducted by the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition shed light on the most important areas of focus to effectively prepare for the next disease outbreak, whatever it may be. Given our commitment to enhance public health and health equity, we at PodTech™ have devised solutions that address each of these concerns.

The need for increased trust among the public. The problem of pandemic preparedness isn’t just a scientific or logistical one. It is also a question of trust, transparency, and communication. At PodTech™, we have always believed that bringing healthcare and health product manufacturing closer to the communities that they serve is the first step towards greater trust in health systems. That’s why our podules™ are designed to be installed in the toughest of contexts. Our prefabricated podules™ are simple and quick to set up, regardless of climate and local infrastructure availability. By involving the local community, generating employment and shortening supply chains, they generate a much needed sense of trust in health systems.

Continued investment in public health testing systems. Be it for HIV, hepatitis, malaria, dengue or any other infectious disease, countries around the world are investing in continuing testing programmes. Ideally, the global health community needs to scale up such programmes as well as tailor them to the specific needs of local communities. This will help countries not only address today’s health challenges but also be prepared for any future outbreaks.

Developing, manufacturing and delivering such tests at scale is no mean feat. It requires not only technical expertise and infrastructure but also a deep understanding of regional epidemiology and health system operations. Research facilities, laboratories, manufacturing plants, and healthcare facilities are indispensable to this mission.

Modular or prefabricated systems can help rapidly build these systems in different parts of the world. They can address challenges related to manufacturing, scale, healthcare delivery and localisation better than any traditional health infrastructure.

The ability to track and identify emerging pathogens and potential outbreaks. Testing programmes for different diseases and effective communication with the public are informed by a deep understanding of where potentially threatening pathogens are located, how they are evolving and spreading, and which of them might cause outbreaks. Such understanding helps countries to put in place appropriate testing systems, active or passive, to stem the widespread transmission of disease-causing pathogens. These testing systems, in turn, are impacted by the availability of diagnostic tests, laboratory space, cleanrooms, and healthcare facilities. Modular construction can help to rapidly build infrastructure for these needs.

Building health system resilience worldwide.

Prefabrication or modular construction gaining a foothold in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and healthcare delivery is a great technological leap for the industry. Innovations like our podule™ technology have made it clear that we do not lack technologically. Where we do need greater attention and investment is in building resilient health systems.

PodTech™’s podules™’s are essential to the global mission of building health systems that are robust and enduring in the face of climate change and emerging diseases. They are critical to not only identifying but also responding to emerging threats, both known and unknown, around the world. They are the key to biopharmaceutical self-sufficiency and strategic autonomy for governments, especially in regions that have traditionally relied on imports or aid to meet their population’s health needs.

With PodTech™, you can be on the frontlines of pandemic preparedness. There’s no time to lose. Get in touch today.