Just when we thought we'd put an end to infectious diseases in the 20th century, thanks to advances in hygiene and the advent of antibiotics and vaccines, the emergence of two new viruses - Ebola in 1976 and the human immunodeficiency virus in 1981 - provided a stark reminder that the risk of new pandemics was still very real. This lecture on pandemics explores the mechanisms by which new pathogens emerge, the conditions under which they spread across the planet, and their impact, and is illustrated by numerous examples drawn from recent major pandemics : AIDS, Ebola, Sars, hepatitis C, Zika, etc.
Chair created with the support of Santé Publique France.