Evidence

This chapter from the Report on Disease Control Priorities: Improving Health and Reducing Poverty, deals with the the current status, gaps and challenges in global preparedness for pandemics. Published in 2018, this research is especially relevant now. Multiple outbreaks such as the Ebola, the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and the bird flu have revealed significant gaps in the responsiveness to such situations at both the local and international levels. This research lays out the risks of pandemics occurring and spreading and risks associated with the increasing frequency of pandemics, particularly those emerging from viral diseases from animals. The research also focuses on the health, socio-economic, and political impact of pandemics. The research provides several recommendations for cost-effective strategies to prepare for pandemics, especially for resource-constrained parts of the world. This document will aid both public health implementers and program designers in preparing for and mitigating the many harmful effects of pandemics.

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