Prof Shi Xiaoming Participates in the WHO Online Release of the "Global Technical Consultation Report on Proposed Terminology for Pathogens that Transmit Through the Air"

On April 18, 2024, at 6 PM Beijing time, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the "Global technical consultation report on proposed terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air" (referred to simply as the "Technical Consultation Report"). This publication introduces updated terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air. The pathogens covered include those that cause respiratory infections, e.g. COVID-19, influenza, measles, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and tuberculosis, among others. Prominent guests included leaders and experts from the WHO, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Christian Medical College Vellore, India, and the University of Hong Kong, China. Prof Shi Xiaoming, Deputy Director General of China CDC, addressed the attendees.

 

Prof Shi highlighted that previously, the global lack of a uniform description of "airborne transmission" had led to misinformation and confusion about how pathogens spread among people. The Technical Consultation Report, a culmination of global expert collaboration, has established a consensus on this terminology. China CDC, as a key participant in the report's co-publication, had its experts fully engaged in the drafting process. Prof Shi expressed confidence that the publication of this report would provide significant guidance for effectively managing and intervening in airborne pathogen risks in the future, thus contributing greatly to global health and welfare.

 

The report’s drafting spanned two years and resolved the interdisciplinary shortage of common terminology to describe the pathogens that transmit through the air. Prof Xu Dongqun, the Chief Expert of Environmental Health at China CDC, played a central role throughout the consultation process.