Invitation to the Joint Symposium on Avian Influenza Pandemic Risk Assessment and Preparedness

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in 2019, caused more than 7 million deaths worldwide and had profound impacts across all sectors, including the economy, education, and culture. To prevent future pandemics, it is essential to understand infectious diseases that have the potential to cause them and to prepare accordingly.

Infectious disease experts have identified influenza viruses as the most likely pathogens to trigger another pandemic after COVID-19. Influenza viruses can infect humans, mammals, and birds. Since 2000, avian influenza has spread widely among poultry and wild birds, causing frequent die-offs, and cases of mammalian infections have been increasing. Once limited to Asia, avian influenza infections have now spread to Europe, Africa, North America, and South America. Between 2013 and 2022, more than 2,000 human cases of avian influenza infection were reported, with a fatality rate of 37%, raising serious concerns. In the spring of 2024, infections among dairy cows and farmers in the United States heightened global alarm over the risk of an avian influenza pandemic.

In light of this situation, the National Academy of Medicine of Korea and the Institute for Future Strategy at Seoul National University will co-host a symposium to evaluate the risks of an avian influenza pandemic and discuss preparedness strategies. Experts conducting research on avian influenza will be invited to present on the current situation in Korea and to engage in in-depth discussions on countermeasures.

We warmly invite your participation and support.

For detailed information, please refer to the poster below.