Conference Presentation
The 2014 Atlanta Summit - - Welcome Remarks
- The CDC is committed to maintaining its role as a 24-7 first line of defense against known and unknown health threats.
- Globalization is expected to accelerate the spread of viral risks such that infections emerging anywhere in the world can pose a threat globally within 24 hours.
- Emerging infectious diseases are projected to appear at a rate of approximately one new discovery per year, necessitating daily investigations into potential pathogens similar to SARS, MERS, H7N9, or HIV.
- The origin of future infections remains uncertain due to global blind spots, with the world facing a potential post-antibiotic era where deadly infections may become untreatable if current trends persist.
- Synthetic biology is anticipated to lower the barriers and costs for creating dangerous organisms, thereby increasing risks from malicious groups or individuals.
- The International Health Regulations (IHRs) process will require countries to promptly identify, report, and mitigate threats to ensure global safety.
- Technological advances are expected to enhance global connectivity and improve the capacity to track infectious diseases.
- United States commitments to the CDC and related organizations are viewed as critical to its continued determining role in 21st-century global affairs.
- Summit initiatives aim to end the perceived secrecy of the CDC, foster international collaboration, and demonstrate the return on investment in bioscience.
- Investments in bioscience are projected to address significant global issues including clean water access, food production, defense against bioterrorism, energy supplies, and environmental sustainability.
- Continued scientific investment is expected to save millions of lives and significantly improve quality of life, urging a renewal of commitment rather than slowing progress.
- Specific resistant infections, particularly CRE, are identified as preventable, and access to easier, cheaper means of creating dangerous organisms via synthetic biology is expected to increase if involving malicious actors.