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Globalization, demographic pressures, increased trade, urban development, climate change, etc. all promote the spread of epidemics of emerging or recurrent infectious diseases, particularly animal-transmitted diseases. The human, political and social consequences often prove unpredictable and devastating. In a few short months such epidemics can shake the economies and industrial, commercial and tourism system of unprepared nations to their foundations. The virus strain that causes Chikungunya originated in Eastern Africa before reaching the Indian subcontinent where it has affected several hundred thousand, maybe millions, of people. Whilst no nation is safe from such events, the consequences of the emergence of an infectious epidemic are ethically particularly unacceptable as they often strike the poorest countries in the world. Offering the development of platforms that will ensure the early detection and control of infectious diseases is not merely a gesture of essential support in a humanitarian emergency, it also helps contribute to fair, sustainable development.