Only Six Nations Have Evaluated Readiness for Global Pandemic
Global Health By
DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
JULY 31, 2017
Of the world’s countries, only six — three rich ones
and three poor ones — have taken the steps they should have to evaluate their ability to withstand a global pandemic, according to a recent report sponsored by the World Bank.
Just three wealthy countries — Finland, Saudi Arabia
and the United States — have gone through two external evaluations of their readiness to face pandemics, one for human diseases and one for animal outbreaks, the study found.
The unusually concise and crisp report, "From Panic
and Neglect to Investing in Health Security," was written by experts from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the African and Asian development banks, and finance officials from various governments.
The external evaluations are done in cooperation with the World Health Organization
and the World Organization for Animal Health, a Paris-based United Nations agency.
The American government pays 60 percent of the $4 billion disbursed each year to stop pandemics; the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation alone is the third-biggest donor, covering 10 percent of the costs.
