In May 2020, with Covid-19 hitting almost every country on the planet, the World Health Assembly asked the WHO Director General to initiate “an independent, impartial and comprehensive review of the international health response to the pandemic. “. Now, members of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response publish their conclusions, and they are not good: countries had not learned anything from past crises, but rather they just waited even when the WHO declared the Public Health Emergency on January 30. “February 2020 was a lost month in many countries,” they say.
The Panel, made up of experts and personalities who examined for eight months what went wrong in the management of the pandemic, both nationally and internationally, points out to what extent Covid-19 exposed that “lPreparedness for a pandemic was limited and disjointed, which left health systems overwhelmed when in fact faced with a virus that was spreading rapidly and exponentially. “
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“It is clear that Countries with successful responses conducted timely triage and referral of suspected Covid-19 cases to ensure rapid case identification and contact tracing, and provided designated isolation facilities, either for everyone or for those unable to self-isolate. High-performing countries also developed multi-level partnerships across government sectors and with groups outside government, communicated consistently and transparently, and engaged with community health workers and community leaders, as well as with the private sector, “he continues.
Rather, they see poor performing countries as having uncoordinated approaches that devalued science, denied the potential impact of the pandemic, delayed comprehensive action, and allowed mistrust to undermine efforts. “Denial of scientific evidence was compounded by lack of leadership to take responsibility or develop coherent strategies aimed at preventing community transmission, “they add.
These independents highlight that Covid-19 has been a pandemic of inequality, exacerbated between countries and within them, which worsened the outcome. “The combination of poor strategic decisions, an unwillingness to address inequalities, and an uncoordinated response system allowed the pandemic will trigger a catastrophic human and socio-economic crisis“, they assure.
They praise that open data has been published
The Panel report also highlights the role played by open data and scientific collaboration for pandemic alert and response. They give an example that the sequence of the novel coronavirus genome in an open platform, which “quickly led to the fastest creation of diagnostic tests in history. Covid-19 vaccines were developed at an unprecedented rate.” They also highlight the role played by all the health professionals involved, who “continue to work tirelessly to protect people and save lives.”
In order to end Covid-19, the panel recommends three immediate actions. First, they ask high-income countries with a portfolio of Covid-19 vaccines for adequate coverage should they, in addition to its expansion, commit to provide at least 1 billion doses of vaccines to Covax’s 92 low- and middle-income countries. Their commitment, at the latest, should be according to them on September 1, 2021. And they should be committed to more than two billion doses by mid-2022.
Second, “the major vaccine producing and manufacturing countries should meet, under the joint auspices of WHO and the World Trade Organization, to agree on the voluntary licensing and technology transfer with immediate waiver of intellectual property rights if voluntary measures are taken, including measures on required technology.
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“The message for change is clear: Covid-19 should be the last pandemic” |
And, as a third measure, to prepare the world for the future so that the next disease outbreak does not turn into a pandemic, the panel calls for a series of crucial reforms. Between them they ask strengthen the authority and independence of the WHO Director-General and Regional Directors, even having a single term of 7 years with no reelection option.
Also establish stronger regional capacities for the manufacture, regulation and acquisition of the tools necessary for the equitable and effective access to essential vaccines, therapies, diagnostics and supplies, as well as for clinical trials, or for governments to designate national coordinators for a pandemic who are accountable to them.
“The message for change is clear: Covid-19 should be the last pandemic. If the world community does not take this objective seriously, we will condemn the world to successive catastrophes, “they conclude.
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