Gulf countries must work together to prepare for and confront the next potential pandemic, or ‘Disease X’, experts warned at a major conference yesterday.
The call came at the fourth Bahrain International Conference of Antimicrobial Resistance and Infectious Diseases, which officially opened at The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Manama.
The two-day event brings together dozens of healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers and industry leaders to discuss the latest developments in infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.
Supreme Council for Health chairman Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa attended the opening ceremony, underscoring the kingdom’s commitment to advancing its health sector and enhancing the quality of services in a video message played during the event.
Also speaking at the opening, Infectious Diseases consultant and Shura Council member Dr Jameela Al Salman stressed that Bahrain, the Gulf region and the wider world must be better prepared for the next major outbreak.
“Bahrain and this region are important because we are located at the crossroads between people, economies and continents. So we have a role in predicting early warning signs,” she said.
Dr Al Salman, who is also the conference president, highlighted the growing focus on ‘Disease X’ – a term used to describe a potential future infectious disease outbreak that is currently unknown.
“In the field of infectious diseases, we discuss Disease X – when it is coming, how we can predict it and how we can handle it,” she said.
But rather than focusing on identifying what the next Disease X might be, Dr Al Salman said the priority should be ensuring that health systems are resilient enough to respond to whatever threat emerges.
“That preparedness requires a co-ordinated approach covering surveillance and early detection, diagnostic capacity, infection prevention and control, secure supply chains, a well-trained healthcare workforce and effective communication and co-ordination,” she said.
Dr Al Salman also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to support healthcare professionals by providing information and helping sharpen clinical judgement.
“However, AI does not replace the responsibility of healthcare professionals,” she stressed.“It is our job to use it wisely.”
Trust, she added, is another essential part of preparing for and responding to infectious disease threats. Drawing on the examples of HIV, vaccination and infection prevention, she said all three share a common foundation: public trust in the healthcare system.
“Building and maintaining that trust must therefore be part of the wider effort to prepare the region for the next outbreak.”
King Saud Medical City Research and Innovation Centre director Prof Ziad Memish outlined a six-step framework for strengthening preparedness during his presentation, titled ‘Are Our Health Systems Ready for the Next Pandemic – Emerging Infections From a One Health Lens’. It focused on prevention, detection, response, continuity, equity and learning.
“Prevention means reducing the risk of spillover and exposure at the source, while detection involves identifying unusual signals before they develop into larger outbreaks,” he said.
“Response requires health systems to act decisively even when information is limited, while continuity means ensuring hospitals can manage a surge in cases without disrupting routine healthcare.
“The final two elements are equity – ensuring that those most exposed and vulnerable are protected first – and learning, which involves adapting strategies and sharing knowledge and benefits across countries and systems.”
Prof Memish noted that the next major outbreak will test the ‘interval between weak signal and shared action’.
The key strategic question, he added, is whether prevention, surveillance and healthcare systems can move together before uncertainty turns into an overwhelming crisis.
“Preparedness must begin before a pathogen reaches hospitals, particularly because many emerging infectious diseases originate in animals,” he stated.
“Reduce exposure at the human-animal-environment interface and intervene before a pathogen crosses into human populations.
“A total of 60 per cent of reported emerging infectious diseases come from animals – wild or domestic.”
This ‘One Health approach’ is particularly important for the Gulf and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region, Prof Memish said, given the extensive movement of people, goods and animals across borders through travel, trade, pilgrimage, food systems and displacement routes.
That requires connecting different sources of information, including event-based surveillance, animal health intelligence, wastewater monitoring and laboratory confirmation, so that potential threats can be identified and verified as early as possible.
He also highlighted the importance of maintaining adequate inventories and resilient supply chains, ensuring that essential medicines, equipment and other supplies are available when demand rises sharply during an outbreak.
Other topics discussed yesterday included ‘Sepsis 2026: Evolving Practice, Implementation, and Surveillance’, ‘Challenging Cases in Infectious Diseases’ and ‘AI in Antimicrobial Stewardship: Experience From the Region’.
The conference concludes today with sessions covering a range of topics, including HIV and its co-morbidities, the latest approaches to HIV prevention, adult vaccination gaps across GCC populations, and new updates in urinary tract infection (UTI) management.
julia@gdnmedia.bh
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