Pandemics: a challenge for humanity 

The rapid growth of the world’s population has brought major challenges, among which pandemics occupy a central place. While they have always shaped human history, the Covid‑19 crisis revealed with unprecedented clarity how global mobility and interconnected societies accelerate the spread of infectious diseases.

Throughout history, several pandemics have left a profound mark:

• The Black Death (1346–1353), which killed tens of millions.

• The Spanish Flu (1918–1920) infected a third of the global population.

• Smallpox, eradicated thanks to worldwide vaccination.

• Covid‑19, whose global impact continues today.

Pandemics act as natural regulators in many species, and Covid‑19 similarly disrupted human societies. It affected every sector—economy, education, health—and exposed weaknesses in global preparedness. The crisis also highlighted issues such as unreliable data, strict containment policies, and uneven vaccination coverage, particularly in China.

In Europe, scientific breakthroughs offered rapid solutions. Researchers Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman developed the mRNA technology that enabled Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca to produce effective vaccines at scale, complementing traditional attenuated virus methods.

Yet new threats continue to emerge. The tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), introduced into Europe through international travel and trade, now spreads diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Highly adaptable and difficult to control, it represents a growing public health concern. Current strategies include insecticide campaigns and releasing sterilized or bacteria-infected males to reduce reproduction while researchers work on new vaccines.

Pandemics and emerging diseases remind us that global health remains fragile and deeply interconnected with human activity, mobility, and environmental change.