Industrialization, technological advancements and globalization have led to tremendous societal progress, but also made humanity susceptible to infectious disease. Vastly changed lifestyles and diets, increased global mobility, climatic changes, etc. have made us increasing vulnerable to a host of known, and unknown, diseases. If the recent past is any indication, infectious disease is expected to proliferate and emerge as our number-one existential threat.
What follows is a by-the-numbers look at the projected proliferation of infectious disease and a set of recommendations for applying digitally-powered tools to combat the recurring scourge of infectious disease.