WS 02 - Improving Pandemic Preparedness and Response

The number and type of infectious disease outbreaks have increased significantly over the past 30 years. As global trade and travel enable humans and goods to be more and more mobile, the risk of diseases spreading beyond national borders increases. Infectious diseases are often mistakenly viewed as mere health issues. However, they are potentially grave threats to countries’ security as well as economic and human development.

Given that pandemics can devastate economies and threaten both development and major investments by multinationals and small businesses alike, the public and the private sector share interests in ensuring that global epidemics, such as Ebola, are quickly recognized and contained and that global endemics, such as HIV and Zika, are sustainably addressed through health systems.

In this session, we will discuss interventions and health systems improvements to better prepare countries and the global community for the epidemics and endemics of the future.