Global Pandemic Preparedness in Free Fall: Only 22% of Countries Ready

Shares of global health security have plummeted in recent years, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting a significant decline in the number of countries with robust pandemic preparedness plans in place. According to a recent report, only 22% of countries have a comprehensive pandemic preparedness plan, down from 40% in 2019. The decline in preparedness has been attributed to a lack of funding and a failure to prioritize pandemic prevention, said Stephanie Psaki, a distinguished senior fellow at the Brown University School of Public Health and former special assistant to the president and inaugural US coordinator for global health security at the National Security Council during the Biden administration. "We have the tools and the knowledge to prevent the next pandemic, but we're not acting like it," Psaki said in an interview. The WHO has been working to strengthen global health security in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the need for more robust preparedness plans. However, the organization has faced significant challenges in securing funding and support from member states. "We're not seeing the level of investment that we need to prevent the next pandemic," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "We need to see a significant increase in funding and support from member states to strengthen our preparedness plans." The lack of preparedness has far-reaching consequences, said Psaki. "When we're not prepared, we're not just putting our own people at risk, we're also putting the entire global community at risk," she said. "We need to work together to prevent the next pandemic, not just react to it after it's happened." In recent decades, scientific and medical advances have made it possible to detect, treat, and stop the pathogens most likely to sweep across continents and cause widespread death. However, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for more robust preparedness plans and a greater emphasis on pandemic prevention. The WHO has been working to strengthen global health security through a number of initiatives, including the development of a global pandemic preparedness plan and the establishment of a global health security architecture. However, the organization has faced significant challenges in securing funding and support from member states. In addition to the WHO, other international organizations, such as the World Bank and the United Nations, have also been working to strengthen global health security. The World Bank has provided significant funding to support pandemic preparedness and response efforts, while the United Nations has established a number of initiatives to strengthen global health security. Despite the challenges, there are signs of progress. The WHO has reported a significant increase in the number of countries with robust pandemic preparedness plans in place, and a number of countries have made significant investments in pandemic prevention and preparedness. As the world looks to the future, there is a growing recognition of the need for more robust preparedness plans and a greater emphasis on pandemic prevention. "We have the tools and the knowledge to prevent the next pandemic, but we're not acting like it," said Psaki. "We need to work together to prevent the next pandemic, not just react to it after it's happened."