Learning from COVID-19 for Future Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response

We are witnessing a fundamental shift in global health priorities and approaches. COVID-19 has drastically shown the deadly and costly impact of pandemics and put a spotlight on the extreme inequalities in access to tests, treatments, and vaccines across the globe. We now need to gather the lessons learnt to be better prepared politically, technically, and financially to address the existential threat posed by future potential pandemics.

The outcomes of the UN High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (Pandemic PPR) in September 2023 as well as key deliberations of the G7 and G20 will be a leading guide on the next steps to advance action. The negotiation for a pandemic accord – focused on equity and access – as well as the revisions of the International Health Regulations will be critical steps in this process. Significant investment and new types of financing are required.

To combat future existential risks, the Pandemic PPR agenda must be taken beyond the health sector and make resilience a priority at the government and societal level, with broad stakeholder involvement and a focus on communities. Financing must be secure, the ownership of the Pandemic PPR agenda needs to be truly inclusive, and accountability needs to be assured.