Watch EP1 here: https://youtu.be/pPcYtKJhWv0 Watch EP2 here: https://youtu.be/q7Cygxbpku4 Seventy-five percent of infectious diseases in humans come from animals. Environmental destruction and urbanisation are increasing the risk of zoonotic outbreaks. Veterinarians run disease surveillance programmes in poor African countries like Madagascar. They’re guided by the "One Health" philosophy linking ecological health to pandemic readiness. COVID-19 showed how quickly zoonotic diseases can spread globally, turning cities into disease hotspots across our interconnected planet. Belgium’s capital Brussels is reducing the risk of infection through innovations in urban design. Presenter and Series Producer: Drew Ambrose Supervising Producer: Nick Olle Associate Producer: Medhavi Arora, Paula Dupraz-Dobias

Five years since it was discovered, our greatest disease experts say far worse pandemics are imminent and the world is unprepared. Not enough research has been done into many of the organisms that cause infectious diseases. The World Health Organization is particularly concerned about Disease X, an unknown pathogen that could cause a catastrophic outbreak. Societal apathy and anti-vaccination attitudes have skyrocketed due to a tide of conspiracy theories and misinformation. Episode 2 of Flatten the Curve examines the challenges in pandemic-proofing our world from Disease X.

A quarter of the global population remains unvaccinated for COVID-19, five years after the virus emerged. During the pandemic, African countries were among the last to receive life-saving medicines because powerful nations control vaccine stockpiles. This “vaccine apartheid” fuels distrust in expensive Western-made vaccines. Senegal and other African nations will produce more of their own vaccines to protect the disease-prone continent. A pandemic treaty being negotiated at the World Health Organization could also help Global South nations better prepare for outbreaks. Credits: Presenter and Series Producer: Drew Ambrose Supervising Producer: Nick Olle Associate Producer: Medhavi Arora, Paula Dupraz-Dobias