Disease outbreak which could kill tens of millions to strike

The researchers give seven actions for leaders to undertake, in full:

1. Heads of Government to commit to preparedness by fully implementing the International Health Regulations, and increasing investment in preparedness as an integral part of national and international security;

2. G7, G20, G77 Member Countries and regional intergovernmental organisations to follow through on their funding and political commitments for preparedness and regularly monitor progress at annual meetings;

3. All countries to build strong preparedness systems, with heads of government appointing a high-level coordinator to lead efforts across all government departments and sectors, to prioritise community involvement and to routinely conduct multisectoral simulation exercises;

4. Countries, donors and multilateral institutions to prepare for worst-case scenario of a fast-moving pandemic due to a virulent respiratory pathogen by scaling-up research and development for new vaccines and medicines, surge manufacturing capacity and rapid information sharing systems;

5. The IMF, World Bank Group, and international financing organisations to integrate preparedness into their replenishments, national and international financial risk assessments, incentive systems and funding mechanisms;

6. Development assistance funders to create incentives and increase funding for preparedness to fill financing gaps for the poorest and most vulnerable countries and Member States to increase their contributions to WHO for its preparedness and response support to counties and a sustainable Contingency Fund for Emergencies; and

7. The United Nations to strengthen preparedness and epidemic response coordination at the international level.