A global public health convention for the 21st century

Duff, Johnathan H.; Liu, Anicca; Saavedra, Jorge; Batycki, Jacob N; Morancy, Kendra; Stocking, Barbara; Gostin, Lawrence O.; Galea, Sandro; Bertozzi, Stefano; Zuniga, José M; Alberto-Banatin, Carmencita; Dansua, Akua Sena; Rı́o, Carlos del; Kulzhanov, Maksut; Lee, Kelley; Scaglia, Gisela; Shahpar, Cyrus; Ullmann, Andrew J.; Hoffman, Steven J.; Weinstein, Michael; Szapocznik, José

doi:10.1016/s2468-2667(21)00070-0

Cited by 46 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…In principle, disease data are reported to the WHO, who assesses national, regional, and global risk. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease in West Africa, has engendered considerable debate on whether the IHR are fit-for-purpose [ 26 ▪ ]. One specific often cited concern is the process of declaring a Public Health Event of International Concern, which detractors argue offers a difficult and unwieldy ‘all or none’ choice.…”

Section: International Health Regulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A number of evaluations of the IHR have been done [ 32 ▪ , 33 , 34 ]; no doubt the issues are complex, and opinions range from mild tweaks to completely scrapping the IHR. One proposed approach is to upgrade to a more binding treaty, with consequences for lack of reporting [ 26 ▪ ] The precise mechanism and balance of ‘carrot and stick’ remains to be seen.…”

Section: International Health Regulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Policy and planning for large epidemics and pandemics – challenges and lessons learned from COVID-19

Sharp

Jain

Alimi

et al. 2021

Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases

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Purpose of review The COVID-19 pandemic is a global catastrophe that has led to untold suffering and death. Many previously identified policy challenges in planning for large epidemics and pandemics have been brought to the fore, and new ones have emerged. Here, we review key policy challenges and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in order to be better prepared for the future. Recent findings The most important challenges facing policymakers include financing outbreak preparedness and response in a complex political environment with limited resources, coordinating response efforts among a growing and diverse range of national and international actors, accurately assessing national outbreak preparedness, addressing the shortfall in the global health workforce, building surge capacity of both human and material resources, balancing investments in public health and curative services, building capacity for outbreak-related research and development, and reinforcing measures for infection prevention and control. Summary In recent years, numerous epidemics and pandemics have caused not only considerable loss of life, but billions of dollars of economic loss. The COVID-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call and led to the implementation of relevant policies and countermeasures. Nevertheless, many questions remain and much work to be done. Wise policies and approaches for outbreak control exist but will require the political will to implement them.

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Section: International Health Regulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: International Health Regulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Policy and planning for large epidemics and pandemics – challenges and lessons learned from COVID-19

Sharp

Jain

Alimi

et al. 2021

Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases

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“…Advocates believe a pandemic treaty will provide stronger enforcement mechanisms [ 5 ]. Despite clear legal obligations outlined in the IHR, most State Parties do not comply with all requirements largely due to financing challenges [ 7 ]. Funding for WHO (and a number of other UN agencies) also remains insufficient.…”

Section: Main Bodymentioning

confidence: 99%

A pandemic treaty, revised international health regulations, or both?

et al. 2021

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Background A special session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) will be convened in late 2021 to consider developing a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response – a so-called ‘Pandemic Treaty’. Consideration is given to this treaty as well as to reform of the International Health Regulations (IHR) as our principal governing instrument to prevent and mitigate future pandemics. Main body Reasons exist to continue to work with the IHR as our principal governing instrument to prevent and mitigate future pandemics. All WHO member states are party to it. It gives the WHO the authority to oversee the collection of surveillance data and to issue recommendations on trade and travel advisories to control the spread of infectious diseases, among other things. However, the limitations of the IHR in addressing the deep prevention of future pandemics also must be recognized. These include a lack of a regulatory framework to prevent zoonotic spillovers. More advanced multi-sectoral measures are also needed. At the same time, a pandemic treaty would have potential benefits and drawbacks as well. It would be a means of addressing the gross inequity in global vaccine distribution and other gaps in the IHR, but it would also need more involvement at the negotiation table of countries in the Global South, significant funding, and likely many years to adopt. Conclusions Reform of the IHR should be undertaken while engaging with WHO member states (and notably those from the Global South) in discussions on the possible benefits, drawbacks and scope of a new pandemic treaty. Both options are not mutually exclusive.

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“…Duff et al [ 19 ] have proposed a WHO-like global body that can coordinate governments, set up transnational operations, enforce treaties and rules through incentives and penalties and provide objective, clear and scientifically sound technical advice to prepare for and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. Such an entity would require full political autonomy and sustained and sufficient funding for its operations, two characteristics that seem wholly unrealistic in light of modern geopolitics.…”

Section: Opportunities For Moving Forwardmentioning

confidence: 99%