Learning lessons from the SARS outbreak

By: Barry Bloom

We encourage you to republish this article online and in print, it’s free under our creative commons attribution license, but please follow some simple guidelines:

You have to credit our authors.
You have to credit SciDev.Net — where possible include our logo with a link back to the original article.
You can simply run the first few lines of the article and then add: “Read the full article on SciDev.Net” containing a link back to the original article.
If you want to also take images published in this story you will need to confirm with the original source if you're licensed to use them.
The easiest way to get the article on your site is to embed the code below.

For more information view our media page and republishing guidelines.

The full article is available here as HTML.

Press Ctrl-C to copy

<div class="article-wrap">
<div id="article-introduction">
<h1>Learning lessons from the SARS outbreak</h1>
<h4>By: Barry Bloom</h4>
</div>
<br />
<br />

<div id="article-body">
<p>Much has been learned from the epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). It has revealed that it is vital that the world is ready to deal with unanticipated outbreaks of infectious disease, and it has underlined the fact that the key to controlling epidemics is to block the transmission of infection. <BR><BR>In this <em>Science</em> editorial, Barry Bloom, dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, argues that the wrong lesson to be taken from SARS would be to pass new emergency legislation mandating narrowly targeted funding for SARS research and control. <BR><BR>Rather, he calls on the United States to invest efforts and funds to more generally strengthen health structures in countries around the world. If the United States were to help train experts in epidemiology and surveillance, strengthen laboratories in key regions, and support the World Health Organisation, we would help to create a true global health network, he argues. <BR><BR><a  href="/sci.cfm?redir=http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/300/5620/701?ijkey=s7weVNDNi6pIs&keytype=ref&siteid=sci" target="_blank" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/tracking/external/'+this.href);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Link to <em>Science</em> editorial</A> <BR><BR>Reference: <em>Science</em> 300, 701 (2003)</p>

</div>
<div class="quick-links-wrapper">
<h3>You might also like</h3>
[related-articles]
</div>
<p>This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.scidev.net" target="_blank">SciDev.Net</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.scidev.net/global/opinions/learning-lessons-from-the-sars-outbreak/" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
<script type="text/javascript">
(function(e,t,n,r,i,s,o){e["GoogleAnalyticsObject"]=i;e[i]=e[i]||function(){(e[i].q=e[i].q||[]).push(arguments)},e[i].l=1*new Date;s=t.createElement(n),o=t.getElementsByTagName(n)[0];s.async=1;s.src=r;o.parentNode.insertBefore(s,o)})(window,document,"script","//www.google-analytics.com/ga.js","ga");var _gaq=_gaq||[];var _gaq=_gaq||[];_gaq.push(["_setAccount","UA-3223906-8"],["_trackEvent","article interaction","republished","https://www.scidev.net/global/opinions/learning-lessons-from-the-sars-outbreak/",null,true])
</script>
</div>

Much has been learned from the epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). It has revealed that it is vital that the world is ready to deal with unanticipated outbreaks of infectious disease, and it has underlined the fact that the key to controlling epidemics is to block the transmission of infection.

In this Science editorial, Barry Bloom, dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, argues that the wrong lesson to be taken from SARS would be to pass new emergency legislation mandating narrowly targeted funding for SARS research and control.

Rather, he calls on the United States to invest efforts and funds to more generally strengthen health structures in countries around the world. If the United States were to help train experts in epidemiology and surveillance, strengthen laboratories in key regions, and support the World Health Organisation, we would help to create a true global health network, he argues.

Link to Science editorial

Reference: Science 300, 701 (2003)