Washington Post: The world is flunking in the fight against disease
Editorial Board

“The threat of a disease disaster has arisen in the past two decades in an unfortunate cycle of panic followed by neglect. These events should be taken as warnings, but they have not been. That is the conclusion of [the Global Health Security Index,] a globe-spanning survey of 195 nations, looking closely at their readiness to combat infectious disease outbreaks, either natural or man-made, including those of high consequence, meaning they could overwhelm the national and international capacity to manage them. … The index shows that ‘no country is fully prepared for epidemics or pandemics. Collectively, international preparedness is weak.’ … This was the first year of the index; hopefully it will spur progress that will show up in future editions. … Nations need to prepare for old problems, and new ones. They need to not lapse back into neglect after each panic” (10/28).