MUNA to host conferences on emerging and re-emerging diseases

The Museum of Nature and Archaeology (MUNA) in Tenerife will host the II PATHOS Conferences on October 22. The event, titled ‘The Coming Danger: Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases’, focuses on the factors driving the appearance and spread of infectious diseases and the resulting challenges for public health.

Organized by the Canary Institute of Bioanthropology and the Tenerife Museum of Natural Sciences, the conference aims to educate the general public on how globalization, climate change, population growth, and ecosystem transformations facilitate new disease dynamics. Topics include emerging infections such as COVID-19, chikungunya, Zika, and hantavirus, as well as the resurgence of previously controlled diseases like tuberculosis, measles, and cholera.

José Carlos Acha, the Counselor of Culture, Museums, and Sports for the Cabildo de Tenerife, emphasized the role of museums as vital spaces for research and scientific dissemination to help society understand and prevent modern health challenges.