Australia’s 2020 summit 12 years ago was worried about climate change triggering an increase in mosquito-borne diseases.
Health experts also warn about the threat of a bird flu pandemic and the dangers of germ-based terrorism, but there is not much talk about coronaviruses despite the recent SARS outbreak in China.
As the new prime minister of the Labor Party in April 2008, Kevin Rudd brought more than 1,000 delegates to the Parliament House in Canberra to discuss a ‘critical’ strategy for the future.
Griffith University’s principal research leader Michael Good, an infectious and vaccine expert who co-chaired a health policy round table meeting 12 years ago, has admitted there was little discussion about respiratory illnesses from the batona coronavirus.
“I have no notes from the 2020 summit. However, as I remember from that time in general, the influenza pandemic is more alarming than the new coronavirus,” Professor Good told the Australian Daily Mail.
Australia’s 2020 Summit 12 years ago worried about the threat of a flu pandemic and the dangers of germ-based terrorism. As the new Labor prime minister in April 2008 (pictured), Kevin Rudd brought more than 1,000 delegates to the Parliament House in Canberra to discuss ‘critical’ strategies for the future
The 2020 Rudd summit also discussed the possibility of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes when global temperatures rise, five months after winning contested elections climate change.
After the two-day summit, global warming was identified as an urgent health hazard for 2020.
“In 2020, we might see a rapid increase in the Ross River fever and dengue in 2020 as a result of climate change,” said a communique.
Health experts specifically focus on bird flu that turns into a pandemic and the prospect of terrorists releasing germs.
They recommended the formation of a new group within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to tackle bird flu and possible threats of germ-based terrorism.
“Forming ASEAN health – a collaborative regional group to focus on the emergence of infectious diseases such as bird flu, plan and be ready to respond to bioterrorism and share learning and best practices on chronic and preventable diseases,” the interim report said.
While tropical diseases and bird flu are also high on the agenda, the threat of coronavirus is not – even though the SARS outbreak in China was only five years before.
Griffith University’s lead research leader Michael Good (pictured), an infectious and vaccine expert who co-chairs the summit’s health policy round table, has admitted there is more discussion about avian influenza caused by the coronavirus.
SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, had broken out in China only five years earlier in late 2002, killing 774 people during the following year in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada and Singapore.
Like COVID-19, SARS is a virus that jumps from bats to humans in China.
Former Labor MP Kelvin Thomson, who serves as a supporter under Kevin Rudd, said his former boss was more focused on making Australia a more open economy at the 2020 summit a dozen years ago.
“I don’t think there has been much consideration given to risks such as a pandemic,” he told the Australian Daily Mail.
Mr Thomson, who is now a member of the Sustainable Australia Party, said COVID-19 highlighted the limits of relying on China for imports of medical equipment.
“That shows the limits of globalization and the need for us to be more independent,” he said.
“The fact that we depend on global supply chains because so many medical supplies are truly a vision failure.”
Professor Good, however, defended a summit in 2008 that focused on bird flu more than coronviruses, arguing that some infectious diseases turned into pandemics.
While tropical diseases and bird flu were also on the main agenda in 2008, the threat of coronaviruses was not – even though the SARS outbreak in China was only five years before. Pictured is a woman at Sydney airport wearing a mask and waiting for passengers to arrive
“Because I have worked in infectious disease research, new infectious diseases have emerged every six to 12 months,” he said.
“Some turned into pandemics but some did. Swine flu, HIV and now COVID-19 are big ones.
“When the environment is encroached upon, the chance of organisms jumping from one species to another increases.”
Professor Peter Collignon, Australian National University School of Medicine, may be two years until the coronavirus vaccine is developed, if developed at all.
Australian National University School of Medicine Professor Peter Collignon said it might take two years for the coronavirus vaccine to be developed – if this happens.
“The vaccine will be at least 18 months, two more years if we get the vaccine at all,” he told the Australian Daily Mail on Tuesday.
“It was not given. They could not make one for SARS.
‘There is still a possibility that we might never have it because we don’t have a vaccine for HIV, we don’t have a vaccine for Hep C.’
Despite this, Professor Collignon said the possibility of a COVID-19 vaccine.
‘Do I think we will get a vaccine that is safe and effective? Yes I do, ‘he said.
Professor Good agreed that the coronavirus vaccine would need more time to develop than the influenza vaccine.
“If it is a new flu pandemic then a vaccine might be developed more quickly, but I think a vaccine will be needed for COVID and I am optimistic that one of the many tried will work,” he said. “Hopefully!”
In the following years, the federal government had a pandemic plan based on the World Health Organization’s warning about bird flu
In the following years, the federal government had a pandemic plan based on the World Health Organization’s warning about bird flu.
“The way in which the Commonwealth government and state and territory governments respond to the threat of imported infectious diseases is influenced by the global policy framework, led by the World Health Organization (WHO),” a parliamentary report said.
CORONAVIRUS CASE IN AUSTRALIA: 5,906
New South Wales: 2,686
Western Australia: 470
South Australia: 411
Australian Capital Territory: 97
Northern Territory: 28
TOTAL CASE: 5,906
The WHO has been criticized for not declaring a corona virus pandemic until March 12, even though China was late in stating an outbreak in Wuhan on January 7.
WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ethiopia’s former health minister, instead used the term ‘public health emergency of international concern’ from 30 January to 11 March.
Adjunct professor Bill Bowtell, from the Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, previously criticized the Australian government for being slow in providing adequate testing of the corona virus.
Last month, he also urged the government immediately introduced temperature testing at airports, as did Taiwan and Singapore after the SARS epidemic.
Professor Bowtell also criticized Australia’s failure to postpone the closure of borders for non-citizens until March 20.
This delay meant that travelers from the United States brought COVID-19 to Australia.
The Australian Daily Mail contacted Kevin Rudd to comment.