The Meaning, Nature and Chronology of Pandemic in 21st Century

Purpose: The aim of this study is to appraise the meaning, nature and chronology of pandemic in 21st century. Methodology: The applicable methodology in attaining the aim of the study is doctrinal methodology which is a non-empirical approach. By the applicable method, the study was able to access policies, regulations, and contents/findings in existing literatures. The researcher curated data from existing literatures, reports and thus primary source of data were not utilised as only secondary source of data were used accordingly. Findings: The study found that pandemic is a sudden/unaware outbreak of a disease that speedily spreads across a whole region and the entire globe with high prevalence as a result of a high rate of susceptible population; the study also found that where pandemic occurs, the probability is high for there to be a high mortality rate. In the study, it is also found that at different stages in the development of modern man and society, different diseases had been categorised as pandemic. However, due to the complexities enshrined in deciphering whether a given disease is a pandemic or not, it became vested on the World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct assessment upon the outbreak of any disease and weigh it on existing criteria to ascertain if such should be declared as a pandemic. Recommendation: As parts of the recommendations made in this study, it is stated that the World Health Organization should endeavour to make its assessment in the earliest time and declare a disease as a pandemic as that would help states in making efforts and contributing resources in curbing the effects of the diseases and possibly terminating the disease