Today, we all are sitting near the tips of the iceberg, million of microbes around us. It is uncertain when, where and what type of pathogen can be the next threat. However, it is certain the amplifying spread of infectious diseases will be much faster than ever before. Such rapid pace of pathogen spread was sought during the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-2019). Early this year, unexpectedly a single instance of COVID-2019 the outbreak has added a new layer of uncertainty in the central part of China, Wuhan city. China's greater political commitment and people's devotion, the new cases starting to decline in China. However, conversely, the outbreak entered into a completely new stage, raising fears and attained the status of a global health emergency worldwide. 

As the outbreak made headlines, the WHO has also swung into action; calling firm support to curtail the virus. WHO declared the COVID-2019 outbreak is an international health emergency not because of the ill response of China but due to strained, fragile and chocked health systems of developing countries. The WHO is aware of the imploded health system in developing countries. Lack of basic health infrastructure; frail surveillance system; weak laboratory networking and health information management systems make developing countries highly prone to disease outbreaks. Developing countries primarily rely on foreign aid and technical support due to the limited health budget of the country. Besides, scarce capacity gaps overwhelmed the disease burden. As of today, more than 57 countries worldwide reported cases of COVID-2019. Due to the fragile health system, COVID-2019 making headlines in neighboring countries like Iran, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Afghanistan. The cumulative confirmed 603 cases and 43 deaths were reported in these countries and outbreaks on the loose. After the peril SARS outbreak back in 2003, China learned lessons and has successfully transformed and revamped its health system. Today’s china health system is well innovative and capable of a swift response.

Today China is defeating the COVID-2019 outbreak because of three things, strong political commitment, its vigilant early disease warning system, and perverse health services and innovative diagnostic platform. To safeguard people's lives, China’s political commitment and robust response helped in the trim down of COVID-2019 cases. Stringent measures such as ring-fenced 51 million people in Wuhan and the adjacent peripheries under quarantine measurements. Wild animal trade was banned permanently, albeit knowing of governance challenges. National level emergency and countrywide biosafety measures were tightened. As early disease warning system rings the bills, a countrywide surveillance system was ramped up. The pathogen was identified within three days; back in 2003, the SARS-CoV pathogen identification took more than a month. In early response, the wet market was closed as it was identified as a source of spillover. All-out efforts were done to keep people trust and afield outbreak. To deal with patients burden and improve health services, successively, 1,000 beds makeshift hospital in Huoshenshan Mountain and 1500 beds second makeshift hospital in Leishenshan was completed in a short time. Moreover, 3000 army medical experts having rich experience of Ebola outbreak control were deployed into the outbreak epicenter. Besides, China has a rich diagnostic platform, and in less than three days, the virus was fully sequenced by the third generation sequencing (TGS) technology, and their genome was publically available. Based on that, virus genome detection kits were developed to diagnose patients accurately. Chinese experts frantically working, and have successfully isolated virus seed for vaccine and therapeutics development. In the median to the long-term plan, the Chinese government has mobilized resources and injected 66.74 billion RMB (US$9.58 billion) into basic research to screen anti-viral drugs and develop a vaccine against deadly pathogens. To cap it all, the Chinese government mounted all-out efforts to swaddle the outbreak.

Today, South Asian countries are highly prone to COVID-2019. The region is a home of the world quarter population and the world three dense population India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are residing here. Despite the heavy burden of diseases, these countries spend less than 3.6% of their gross domestic products (DGP) on health as compared to 8.2% of the global average. A large number of people living in impoverished condition, and has less than $1 the income per day. The Human Development Index (HDI) ranks revealed that unprecedented epidemics of infectious diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in these countries. Early disease warning systems and the ability to timely respond to a disease outbreak is a critical challenge for these countries. In diseases emergency, making the availability of basic personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves to vast populations will be a real challenge. Moreover, laboratory-related PPE such goggles, hazmat suits and special N95 mask availability for paramedics, nurses, clinicians and infectious diseases experts will be a real challenge too, as these countries have limited indigenous production and rely on import.

In present outbreak WHO warns about the chronic shortage of such PPE worldwide, and calls for concerted efforts. Most of the South Asian countries lack technical expertise and advance biosafety level laboratories, especially biosafety 3 and 4, which is essential for novel pathogen detection. Inside the laboratories, there is a lack of molecular-based equipment such as pathogen genome sequencer; primer synthesis, and early diagnostic assay machines, belated provision of such types of equipment will hinder timely response. Moreover, the supply chain managements system is inactive in these countries. Healthcare facilities and services are desperate in South Asian countries. In the current scenario, all South Asian countries invoke help from China, however, it is important to know whether there is any roadmap of cooperation existed between China and South Asian countries. Indeed yes, China has an important component of its global health cooperation under its belt and road initiatives (BRI) to leverage developing countries. China has successfully provided ten thousand diagnostic kits for the detection of COVID-2019 to Pakistan. Moreover, barring COVID-2019 transmission in neighboring country Iran, Chinese government provided diagnostic kits for the detection of the disease, and planning to send a group of experts to barricade outbreak. Alongside this, it is a good opportunity for South Asian countries to emulate from China, and confined the COVID-2019 outbreak. To tame the burden of COVID-2019, there is needed escalate financial resources and scramble technical assistance. More robust regional cooperation is required to effectively intervene dissemination of such an outbreak. All countries should encourage preparedness and improve surveillance systems to predict, identify, and respond to the next public health crisis. Most importantly, international collaborations, partnerships, and communications should be enhanced.

The author is a CAS-TWAS fellow from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and was a research fellow at 富达 Think Tank of Fudan University, Shanghai China. His can be reached at fawadmhd@gmail.com

链接：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3UMcuSwddrK05j-B9iWkZg