World Bank’s “Investing in Health”: Disease Outbreaks are Still a Certainty, But No Longer Uninsured
Keith Hansen, vice president for human development at the World Bank Group, discusses the bank’s recently launched Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) to help countries respond to disease outbreaks. Hansen writes the PEF is “just one brick in the larger defensive wall the world needs to build against pandemics. Other bricks include strong public health systems and primary care, robust surveillance (including animal health), early warning systems, rapid response plans, greater vaccine research and rollout capacity, and regional epidemiologic data networks. The World Bank Group is increasing its support to all these aspects of preparedness, in concert with WHO and other development partners…” (7/10).