Dive Brief:
- Global health experts convened by the U.S. National Academy of Medicine said $4.5 billion was needed every year from governments, foundations, and organizations to strengthen defenses against pandemics.
- Pandemics can cost more than $60 billion a year globally when they occur, according to the group's report urging action after the Ebola epidemic in West Africa killed more than 11,000 people.
- In addition to more funding, the report by the Commission on Creating a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future recommended a "center for health emergency preparedness and response" to be created at the World Health Organization (WHO) with its own funding to coordinate action against pandemics, as well as recommending the World Bank to set up a planned pandemic emergency-financing facility before the end of this year.
Dive Insight:
The experts called upon the Group of Seven advanced industrial nations, the G-20 bloc and the United Nations to gather funding this year to enhance public health systems, strengthen the WHO, and accelerate vaccine and drug development for epidemics. "A pandemic could kill as many people as a devastating war, yet the resources committed to pandemic prevention and response are a fraction of the resources we commit to security," the report stated.
It also suggested $3.4 billion (of the $4.5 billion) should be applied to building strong public health systems, with the remaining $1 billion to drug and vaccine development. Funding, the report said, should be from not only existing funders of research and development but also travel and insurance industries, which are often affected by pandemics.
Additional reports are expected, including one from a U.N. panel. The WHO's assistant director-general for health systems and innovation, Marie-Paule Kieny, told the Wall Street Journal recommendations would be reviewed after all the reports were received.
The expert panel estimated, at least, one new pandemic will emerge in the next 100 years, with a 20% chance of four or more in that time.