Preparing for Disease X: Global Contingency Plans and Pandemic Risks

The World Economic Forum is creating a contingency plan for a hypothetical virus called Disease X, which could potentially be more potent than COVID-19. The forum will discuss the need for novel efforts to prepare healthcare systems for potential future challenges. Disease X is a placeholder name given by the WHO to a theoretical virus that has not yet been formed, and it has been added to the WHO’s short list of pathogens for research. The goal is to enable early cross-cutting research and development preparedness that is relevant for an unknown 'Disease X' and to support rapid response vaccine platforms.