Global leaders were not prepared despite being warned of a pandemic: Report

The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board has called out global powers for failing to be prepared for a pandemic, despite being warned last year about something of this nature.

‘A collective failure’

In a harsh assessment of the global Covid-19 response, the GPMB has, in its latest report, called it “a collective failure to take pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response seriously and prioritise it accordingly”.

The first GPMB Report issued last September had warned of the threat of a respiratory pathogen that could kill millions and wipe out 5 per cent of the world’s economy, creating widespread havoc, instability and insecurity. The board had issued a stern warning of the danger of perpetuating the cycle of panic and neglect, and called for urgent action to strengthen pandemic preparedness.

In many countries, leaders have struggled to take early decisive action based on science, evidence and best practice, the GPMB said in its second report, ‘A World in Disorder’. This lack of accountability by leaders has led to a profound and deepening deficit in trust that is hampering response efforts.

The GPMB is an independent monitoring and accountability body created by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank Group and was launched in May 2018. Its 15-member board is made up of political leaders, heads of agencies and experts. Its co-chairs are Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, former WHO chief and former Norwegian Prime Minister; and Elhadj As Sy, Chair, Kofi Annan Foundation Board, and former Secretary-General, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

“Transparency and accountability are essential in responding to the pandemic,” said Elhadj As Sy.

A major challenge

While Covid-19 has demonstrated that the world is deeply interconnected through economics, trade, information, and travel, the report found that one of the greatest challenges of the pandemic has been “faltering multilateral cooperation.”

Leadership by the G7, G20 and multilateral organisations has been hampered by geopolitical tensions. The board called on leaders to renew their commitment to the multilateral system and strengthen WHO as an impartial and independent organisation. Weakening and undermining the multilateral action will have serious consequences on global health security, it warns. No-one is safe until all are safe, it pointed out.

“Viruses don’t respect borders. The only way out of this devastating pandemic is along the path of collective action, which demands a strong and effective multilateral system,” said Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland. “The UN system, which includes the WHO, was created after World War II, and has helped make the world a better place for billions of people. It needs to be defended, strengthened, and revitalised, not attacked and undermined,” she said.

Socio-economic impact

Covid-19’s long-term socio-economic impact is predicted to last for decades, with the World Bank’s conservative scenario estimating a $10-trillion earning loss over time for the younger generation as a result of pandemic-related educational deficits.

“This will not be the last global health emergency. The world simply cannot afford to be unprepared again,” the report warned. “It would take 500 years to spend as much on preparedness as the world is currently losing due to Covid-19.”

Echoing thoughts expressed by the Co-chairs, WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pointed out that “ in recent years we have seen a recurring pattern. The world throws money at an outbreak, then does little to prevent the next one”.

There have been numerous reviews, reports and recommendations, he said, some heeded and others not. “It’s as if we wait for the plane to crash, then call for more safety inspections. We wait until the town burns down, then decide we need a fire department. We wait until the storm comes, then try to fix the roof.” Spending on health and preparedness was not charity, it was an investment in our future, he said.