U.S. Preparedness for the Next Pandemic

Will the U.S. be able to respond to the next global public health crisis? At this year’s United Nations annual assembly, WHO Director, General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the inevitability of the next pandemic. He claimed, “We cannot kick this can down the road” because it is only a matter of when, not if, the next public health threat will emerge. The WHO is drafting a pandemic treaty that the member states will vote on in next year’s general assembly. This new treaty represents an agreement including more than 200 recommended actions countries can take to improve global security. Also, the treaty’s call to action covers the entire spectrum from pathogen identification to widespread vaccination. Read more from NPHIC here.