Title: Infrastructure and the 21st century infectious diseases
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Abstract: My vision is within the next 10 years, we will revolutionise the way of thinking and practice in infrastructure function, design and construction to create a new environment which resists the 21st century infectious diseases.This project is about transforming and designing new infrastructure to combat the 21st century infectious diseases in the environment. This project is particularly important in the UK as it is burdened with the legacy of aged infrastructure; London underground and Bazalgette's sewerage system are more than 100 years old. Infectious diseases can bring great loss of life and suffering. Alongside the notorious hospital 'super-bugs', in the 21st century, one of the biggest threats from infectious diseases in the world is from the pathogens which can be transmitted via the airborne and surface contact routes, such as bird flu virus and SARS. According to the figures from the Department of Health, up to 750,000 extra deaths could be expected in Britain within 15 weeks of a flu pandemic. A quarter to half of the population may be infected and up to 2.5% of those could die. Although water-borne and food-borne pathogens can still be a problem, in the UK at least, these pathogens are generally guarded and regulated. Using the Health Protection Agency's contingency plan on Avian Flu as an example, surveillance and containment are the centre of the response strategy but the word Engineering is not shown in this document. My view is that infrastructure engineering is core to the solution of these problems Engineering affects every single aspect of our life. Similarly, disease outbreaks are the results of a mixture of biological, environmental, social, economic and political aspects. It is certain that engineering can play a bigger part. Infrastructure may not stop disease transmission (unless it is the source of pathogens) but infrastructure can reduce the risk and extent of the pathogens reaching and infecting people. Infrastructure and infectious diseases can be linked in 4 different ways: Infrastructures which 1. directly kill or remove pathogens 2. become a source of pathogens 3. create an environment to facilitate disease transmission and 4. facilitate other non-engineering control measures.Infrastructure can make a difference in the fight against these infectious diseases. It is the aim of this proposal to develop a Healthy Infrastructure Research Centre (HIRC) to make it happen - a vibrant and exciting place for all people interested in knowledge, research and education about the ways in which infrastructure can be designed and operated to minimise infection. Medical and Health Science, Engineering and Technology and Social Science are the core subject areas to support the development of HIRC. By working in partnership, by the end of the funding period, 5 years, this multidisciplinary group will create 1) a new research centre which has the right facility and people, 2) new knowledge of the relationship between disease transmission, people and infrastructure and 3) new practice and novel engineering solutions to reduce infection transmission which can make a real difference in the world. It is not just the potential massive amount of casualties and fatalities that worries us but also the unpredictability and speedy transmission of new and emergent diseases that make this project in building a healthy infrastructures group extremely important and timeliness. Without this EPSRC funding support, this important research centre and many potential solutions for reducing or even stopping infectious disease transmission just will not happen.


Research activity codes: 2.6 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (AETIOLOGY);3.5 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (PREVENTION)
Health categories: INFECTION