In the wake of the recent Ebola crisis, a group of experts was called to examine and create ways to help the world prepare for the impending threat of the next global disease. The experts unveiled their findings, which included a $4.5 billion annual investment for improved disease detection and response devices.
The experts estimated a yearly economic loss of $60 billion if the global community fails to control the pandemic. The estimated loss was supported by eight other independent academic and philanthropic groups. This makes the suggested $4.5 billion annual investment a worthwhile bargain, which involves investing less than $1 for each person a year.
The joint 17-member group is called the Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future (GHRF). Peter Sands, MPA, stands as the commission chair and is a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government.
A team from the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) also assisted in the study by providing four workshops and more than 250 experts who gave their input. The experts covered four key areas, namely, health systems, financing, research and development and governance.
The experts suggested that $3.4 billion from the annual Ebola preparedness estimate would be used in upgrading the public health system in low-to-middle-income nations. About $1 billion will be dedicated to help fasten the development of medicines, vaccines and other products that will help prevent the pandemic.
"Pandemics don't respect national boundaries, so we have a common interest in strengthening our defenses," said Sands, emphasizing that the global community seems to set aside its investments for pandemic readiness.
Sands added that prevention and preparation are less expensive and more effective compared to resulting actions when the pandemic occurs. In the next century, experts predicted that no less than one pandemic will take place. In the same timeline, there is a 20 percent chance that at least four or more pandemics will occur.
The report urges the World Health Organization to lead a global effort in defining and creating the central standards for public health towards the end of this year. The experts also suggested that WHO devise an independent system that will ensure the standards are being met and also track individual countries' status and progress in terms of public health.
This system would be accessible to the global community in order to analyze a country's infectious disease risks. The experts recommended that World Bank support would be given to countries who would participate in the health system upgrade.
The study was published in the NAM website and the findings were presented at a project briefing in New York City.
Photo : Sami Keinänen | Flickr
