$460-million initiative to "outsmart" infectious epidemics launched

PanARMENIAN.Net - As the world still reels from outbreaks of deadly Ebola and baby-deforming Zika, governments and charities on Thursday, January 19 launched a $460-million initiative to "outsmart" infectious epidemics, according to AFP.

The goal is to develop safe vaccines to contain outbreaks before they become global health emergencies, the creators of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"We want to prioritise vaccine development for what we have defined as the most important threats," CEPI's interim chief executive John-Arne Rottingen told journalists.

"But we need also to be prepared for the unknown."

The priority will be vaccines against the highly-contagious and fatal Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) as well as the Lassa and Nipah viruses, which could cause serious epidemics.

It will aim to create two vaccines for each of these viruses "so that these are available without delay if and when an outbreak begins," the coalition said in a statement.

CEPI will also look into supporting vaccines being developed against multiple strains of the Ebola and Marburg viruses, and against Zika.

"Ebola and Zika showed that the world is tragically unprepared to detect local outbreaks and respond quickly enough to prevent them from becoming global pandemics," said billionaire Bill Gates, who backs the project.