Political leadership, advance planning key to pandemic preparedness

This month, a report by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response recommended a more independent World Health Organization, a new council that would maintain a political commitment to pandemic preparedness and response, and a financing facility that can disburse $50 billion to $100 billion on short notice. Speaking at a Devex event on the sidelines of the 74th World Health Assembly, health experts welcomed several of the panel’s recommendations but cautioned that in order to be effective, the proposals would need to be accompanied by high-level political leadership, advance planning, and the inclusion of different stakeholders. Chandrika Bahadur, director at the SDG Academy, said the report was excellent “both in terms of its breadth but also in terms of the creativity of the recommendations and really going beyond what one would normally expect from a panel of this kind.” Why it matters: The panel was established last year to conduct a “comprehensive review" of the COVID-19 response and provide lessons learned and recommendations on how the world can be better prepared for the next crisis. What to watch: Dr. Ambrose Talisuna, regional adviser for the International Health Regulations and global health security at WHO’s Regional Office for Africa, said national governments must take the lead in building capacity for pandemic preparedness, as there is a need for high-level political leadership and coordination, as well as the incorporation of people from different sectors. Speaking about the formation of a global threats council, Gabrielle Fitzgerald, a co-founder of the Pandemic Action Network, said there should be recognition that pandemic preparedness goes beyond the health sector, as education and small businesses were also affected by COVID-19. Bahadur added that the timing of implementing these recommendations would also be critical. “One lesson we have from the pandemic is that the absolute worst time to make these plans is right in the middle of a pandemic,” she said. “So the time to do this is actually before or after, not during.”