A road map for a world protected from pandemic threats

In 2021, the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response and other COVID-19 reviews came to similar findings and conclusions: the systems and rules in place were wholly insufficient to protect the world, and transformational change is essential. [...] 2 The Independent Panel called for a package of reforms, focused on sustained high-level political attention to pandemic preparedness and response, a modern surveillance and alert system, new and additional financing, equitable access to medical countermeasures, a strengthened and well-functioning WHO, and a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach to national preparedness. [...] This involves setting the rules for what kind of pathogens need to be reported and when, and for WHO’s authority to investigate and respond to potential outbreaks immediately in order to alert the world quickly to threats, be able to declare an emergency expeditiously, and provide assistance to countries. [...] End-to-end refers to the need to address all steps, including ongoing assessments and research, initial detection of a new pathogen, and research and development through to the manufacturing, distribution, and actual delivery to people of vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments. [...] The council would report to the UNGA, and could also report to the World Health Assembly and the World Bank and IMF Boards.