Central Asia builds early-warning systems to prevent future pandemics

September 19, 2026 at 02:30 PM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Central Asian states are strengthening pandemic preparedness by shifting focus from outbreak response to prevention. The region is expanding animal disease surveillance, modernizing laboratory diagnostics, and integrating digital systems across medical, veterinary, and environmental services. The effort follows lessons from COVID-19, which exposed gaps in regional readiness.

Key Facts

About two-thirds of new human diseases originate in animals, according to World Bank senior agriculture economist Pierre Gerber.
Central Asia's shared pastures, active trade, and cross-border animal movement make any outbreak in one country capable of spreading rapidly to neighbors.
The World Bank's One Health program aims to improve countries' readiness for disease outbreaks, said Regional Environmental Centre executive director Batyr Mamedov.
Risk-based monitoring focuses on identifying high-risk zones rather than blanket surveillance of all territories.

Animal Disease Surveillance

Pierre Gerber, senior agriculture economist at the World Bank, said about two-thirds of new diseases detected in humans have animal origins, including livestock and wildlife. Central Asia's interconnected pastures, trade routes, and cross-border livestock movements mean an outbreak in one country can quickly spread to neighboring states and threaten food security. Veterinary services and wildlife monitoring are being prioritized, with a focus on risk-based surveillance rather than blanket coverage. Gerber cited echinococcosis as an example: data on burial sites of infected animals can be combined with wildlife habitat and sheep grazing areas to map potential risk zones.

Regional Coordination

Each Central Asian country is developing a mechanism for cooperation among public health, veterinary, and environmental agencies. Batyr Mamedov, executive director of the Regional Environmental Centre, said the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that countries were not fully prepared for a large-scale outbreak. The World Bank's One Health program is designed to raise countries' readiness for various disease outbreaks, Mamedov said at the One Health 2026 regional conference in Bishkek.