Tag: Pandemic Action Network

Time for a Different Approach: G20 Lessons and What’s Ahead

Posted on by Courtney Morris

With the backdrop of Ukraine and missiles killing two people in Poland, it was surprising that G20 Leaders agreed to anything at all at this year’s Leaders’ Summit in Bali. So while the very existence of a Leaders’ Declaration (short of a full communiqué) was hailed as a positive, the document was heavier on narrative than substance. The role and risk of pandemics in this moment of converging crises were underplayed with only the creation of the new (and severely underfunded) Pandemic Fund giving some light to an otherwise pedestrian roll call of pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) issues.

So what did G20 leaders actually do?

Although the G20 Bali declaration name checks some of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic right at the beginning — economic downturn, increased poverty, slowed global recovery, and hindering the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals — the issue then drops off until much later in the declaration. There are only a few health-specific paragraphs describing the ongoing COVID-19 response, which has been characterized by an astonishing lack of urgency and leadership throughout the pandemic. There is a reason we are looking ahead to the fourth year of the COVID pandemic.

While the Indonesian Presidency certainly deserves recognition for their leadership in getting the Pandemic Fund over the line and officially launched, the US$1.4 billion in its coffers is a far cry from the US$10.5 billion needed (per year!) to plug even basic PPR gaps (see the latest in our Pandemic Fund Tracker). Right now, we are only as strong as our weakest link. It is in our collective interest to ensure all countries and governments contribute, all take part in decision-making, and all benefit — a new model for a new era.

The declaration was too vague on Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and reform of the multilateral development banks — especially at a time when Mia Mottley’s Bridgetown Agenda has gained traction and provides a clear roadmap for some practical steps that need the G20 behind them. It was good that SDRs got a mention, but the major economies should be signing over most, if not all, of their SDRs to LMICs, and at least the 30% put down by President Macron. Overall, the declaration was a missed opportunity to put wind in the sails of that agenda.

Bigger news on that front came in the post-Summit press conferences. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the convening of a conference in Paris in June 2023 where representatives will develop “a new financial pact with the South” — by advancing key issues, including SDRs, aspects of the Bridgetown Agenda, and climate finance. The commitment is a sign that at least one G7 leader has understood the vast scale-up of finance required for the resilience agenda to fight climate change and pandemics. (Note: Pandemic Action Network partners have been calling for this.) The Summit announcement was on the heels of a €50 million pledge to the Pandemic Fund — a good showing for France. 

Elsewhere the war and relations with China dominated. While the darkness of the ongoing conflict continues to unsettle us all, Biden’s 3-and-a-half-hour sit-down with Xi Jinping signals at least a line of communication that could help international coordination on climate and health issues — and of course, Ukraine. 

What’s ahead?

We now look ahead to the Indian Presidency of the G20 to build on the foundations laid by the Indonesian and Italian Presidencies and use the (welcome) extended mandate of the Finance and Health Task Force to give political leaders clear goals to achieve in 2023. These goals should include leaders working toward the US$10.5 billion the Pandemic Fund needs annually, strengthening health systems across the world, minimizing the chances of disease outbreaks while increasing the chances of swift containment when they do break out — and, of course, ensuring a truly equitable response to future pandemics while avoiding the mistakes of previous approaches.

Our leaders must learn to connect the converging crises and act accordingly — not only tackling the symptoms but the root causes of climate change, pandemics, and conflict before these spiral out of control. 

We look to India leading the G20, and Japan the G7, to work together with the African Union and other regional blocs to make sure as many countries as possible take steps together on these key agendas. We also need our leaders of 2023 to learn lessons from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and not repeat the deep divides of the COVID era that persist today. India is well placed to do that. It’s time for a different approach. With the still active Public Health Emergency of International Concern on monkeypox, Ebola in Uganda, polio showing up in wastewater around the world, and cholera outbreaks on the rise, the era of pandemic threats has never been more upon us or more vital to tackle. There’s no time to lose.

Call for G20 Leaders to Take Pandemic Action

Posted on by Hanna Hwang

Ahead of this year’s G20 Leaders’ Summit, over 50 global, regional, national, and local organizations are calling on leaders to put forward actions that ensure everyone has the tools to curb COVID-19 and prevent future pandemics. As health crises continue to set development progress back, impact our economies, and undermine the world’s ability to tackle other global challenges, joint and coordinated measures, policies, and investments remain urgent and necessary. 

While Indonesia’s G20 Presidency has advanced key agreements and proposals on PPR — such as the new Financial Intermediary Fund for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (known as the Pandemic Fund) — there are further opportunities within reach for breaking the cycle of “panic and neglect” on pandemics. The Annual Meetings provide a critical opportunity to reassert leadership, deliver finance at scale, and kick-start the package of measures needed to pandemic-proof our world. 

Specifically, the group of organizations call on G20 Leaders to:

  • Deliver finance at scale for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
    1. Channel US$100 billion in special drawing rights (SDRs) to the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST).
    2. Release a roadmap to unlock new lending from multilateral development banks (MDBs).
  • Invest in pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response — with equity at its heart.
    1. Meet the Pandemic Fund’s US$10.5 billion target and advance a sustainable funding plan.
    2. Fund the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) 2.0, FIND — the global alliance for diagnostics — and public health institutes.
    3. Fund and support the Global Fund, Gavi, and other organizations also crucial to PPR. 
  • Prevent and prepare for the next pandemic by fixing gaps in the system and in policies.
    1. Endorse the creation of a high-level body to tackle global health threats and advance its set up through the UN High-Level Meeting for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response in 2023.
    2. Ensure equitable access to pandemic countermeasures and initiate a process to address this gap now and for the future. 
    3. Reinforce the importance of a One Health approach.

Outbreaks can be prevented, and new pathogens can be contained — but ongoing pandemics are a political choice. Decisive leadership can deliver a path to health security for people worldwide, where most outbreaks can be prevented, and new pathogens can be contained. We already know the solutions and investments required. Against the consequences and harm of pandemics, their cost is not only modest but is also much less considering the human, economic, and health dividends they reap. 

Read the full letter. If your organization would like to sign the letter to G20 Leaders, please reach out to Aminata. 

 

Pandemic Action Network Statement on a New World Bank Fund for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response

Posted on by Courtney Morris

Statement by Pandemic Action Network Co-Founder Carolyn Reynolds on the decision by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors to establish a new Financial Intermediary Fund for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response: 

“Today’s decision by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors to establish a new global pandemic fund is an important step forward to heed the hard lessons of COVID-19 and make the world safer from pandemics. The fund offers the potential to marshal significant new financing to help prevent such a deadly and costly crisis from happening again. As the fund moves from concept to reality, global leaders should seize this opportunity to ensure it is catalytic, inclusive, and accountable. 

“The COVID crisis has shown us that pandemic prevention and preparedness is in everyone’s interest, and it should be everyone’s business. The US$1.1 billion pledged to the fund thus far is still a fraction of the estimated US$10 billion annually that global health and finance experts agree is urgently needed to bolster the world’s pandemic defenses. We urge more governments, philanthropies, and other funders to seize this moment to pandemic proof our collective future by stepping up and investing in this new fund.” 

Feedback to WHO’s Director-General on Strengthening the Global Architecture for Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience

Posted on by Hanna Hwang

At the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA), the World Health Organization (WHO) will put forward its vision for strengthening capacities for pandemic preparedness and response through a report from the Director-General on Strengthening the Global Architecture for Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience (HEPR). The report intends to provide a new overarching integrated framework for all the health emergency reforms and processes underway and define the role of WHO.

Recently, as a part of the advance consultation process, Pandemic Action Network submitted feedback to inform the final report that will be delivered at the WHA. Pandemic Action Network supports the overall framing of WHO’s vision for a stronger global architecture that focuses on the critical reforms needed for governance, systems, and financing. This framing mirrors the Network’s strategic planning and reflections on challenges and opportunities at this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read our feedback across the three key areas of governance, systems, and financing and stay tuned for the final report from WHO.

Pandemic Action Network Statement on the Second Global COVID-19 Summit

Posted on by Hanna Hwang

The Second Global COVID-19 Summit showed a renewed commitment to end the COVID-19 crisis and prevent the next pandemic threat. Against complacency and pandemic fatigue, leaders from over 35 countries, the private sector, philanthropy, and civil society brought forward new actions and commitments — both financial and non-financial — to meet urgent needs across the summit’s priorities of vaccinating the world, protecting the most vulnerable, and preventing future pandemics. Financial commitments totaled almost US$3.2 billion, with approximately US$2.5 billion in funding from governments, and approximately US$700 million from the private sector, foundations, and other non-government actors.

Statement from Carolyn Reynolds, Co-Founder, Pandemic Action Network

Today’s Global COVID-19 Summit was a win against complacency and has provided a much-needed shot in the arm for both the global COVID response and to begin to prepare the world for the next pandemic threat. We are pleased that the Summit has yielded important new commitments to vaccinate the world, save lives, and nearly US$1 billion to establish a new Fund for global health security and pandemic preparedness. This is a significant down payment and enables the World Bank to move forward on establishing the Fund this summer. But we must maintain the momentum beyond today and political leaders must stay in the fight. This pandemic is not over, and the world must move faster to deliver lifesaving tools and prepare for whatever variant or pandemic threat is coming next. The U.S. Congress must urgently approve additional funding for the global COVID response, and other governments and private and philanthropic partners must step up support for the response and for the Fund as soon as possible. 

Statement from Eloise Todd, Co-Founder, Pandemic Action Network

World leaders‘ commitments at the Global COVID-19 Summit today have helped give a much-needed reset to the global COVID response. But without sustained and decisive action, the world could slip into permanent inequity between those that are able to be treated and vaccinated for COVID-19 and those that are not. All eyes are on global and regional bodies to see how they can build on today’s starting shot and deliver real progress by the G7 Summit at the end of June. 

As long championed by Pandemic Action Network, equity featured prominently in both reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic and in new commitments. We welcome commitments and new investments to close the funding gap for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), solve for last-mile vaccination delivery challenges, accelerate access to generic therapeutics, and diversify manufacturing and procurement of medical countermeasures to build strong and sustainable systems in every region of the world. 

Pandemic Action Network was also pleased to see political and financial support for a new Fund for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness from across sectors. As we double down to end the COVID-19 pandemic, we also must look ahead and prepare both for future COVID-19 variants and emerging disease threats. Government leaders from around the world stepped up today to support a new pandemic preparedness fund and advocated for the need to include diverse voices in the design and governance of a new fund. Financial commitments from the U.S., European Commission, Germany, and the Wellcome Trust total nearly US$1 billion, and represent a significant down payment toward the US$10 billion needed annually for this Fund.

But while today’s Summit serves as a needed jolt to the global COVID-19 effort, there is still much work to do. Today’s financial commitments for response sum just over US$2 billion, and while this funding is urgently needed, it’s long overdue and far short of the current ACT-A funding gap (nearly $US15 billion). It is critical that all governments and sectors step up and prioritize significant new resources to end the global COVID crisis — including the U.S. Congress and Administration working together to transcend politics and quickly pass at least US$5 billion for the global COVID-19 response. In addition, it is critical to heed the call from many African leaders for Gavi, the Global Fund, and other vaccine purchasers to prioritize purchases from African vaccine manufacturers to ensure new facilities are sustainable. It will also be important for a diversity of donors and stakeholders to commit to the new Fund for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness to ensure it is inclusive, representative, and effective. 

As we look ahead to the World Health Assembly, G7 and G20 Summits, and UN General Assembly, Pandemic Action Network will stay vigilant to make sure Summit commitments are realized and accountable, and that world leaders are collectively challenging themselves to do whatever it takes to end this crisis for everyone, everywhere.

Collective Commitment for the Second Global COVID-19 Summit

Posted on by Hanna Hwang

The following collective commitment was submitted on behalf of Pandemic Action Network for the Second Global COVID-19 Summit hosted on May 12, 2022.

Pandemic Action Network is a network of 257 organizations around the world driving collective action to bring an end to the COVID-19 crisis and to ensure the world is prepared for the next pandemic.

Pandemic Action Network is staying in this fight until the COVID crisis is ended for everyone, everywhere and sustainable systems are built at the global, regional, and national levels to proactively and equitably prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemic threats.

Pandemic Action Network commits to mobilize at least 100 new partners by the end of 2022, with an emphasis on organizations in lower- and middle-income countries, to advance the Summit goals to vaccinate the world, save lives now, and build back better for global health security and pandemic preparedness.

From now through the end of 2022, Pandemic Action Network and its global community of partners commit to: 

Vaccinate the World: Press governments, multilateral agencies, philanthropic and private sector partners to galvanize the necessary investments, coordination, and incentives to deliver vaccines that are still urgently needed in many parts of the world, including but not limited to closing the remaining funding gaps that have been identified for COVAX and the ACT-Accelerator. We will champion and support delivery of an accelerated, robust, and equitable global vaccination plan in support of national, regional, and global vaccination targets to achieve equitable global immunization levels.

Save Lives Now: Support efforts to drive forward a dynamic global test-to-treat strategy that applies lessons learned from the dramatic inequities in access to COVID-19 medical countermeasures and lifesaving tools. We will work to increase transparency on pricing and supply of tools to fight COVID-19, and make sure stakeholders prioritize access to testing, timely reporting, and treatments as the world transitions from crisis response to long-term sustainable preparedness for future surges of COVID-19 and other disease outbreaks.

Build Better Health Security: Mobilize political and financial commitments to stand-up and finance a dedicated new fund for global health security and pandemic preparedness. We will work with governments, the World Bank, WHO, philanthropy, private sector and civil society partners to design, launch, promote, and sustainably finance a fund that marshals significant new and sustainable resources for pandemic preparedness, as an inclusive and additive part of the global health architecture. 

In addition, Pandemic Action Network will promote cross-country and cross-regional cooperation, and sharing of best practices and lessons learned, to inform more effective and equitable pandemic preparedness and response plans and implementation. 

Pandemic Action Network will also maintain a steady drumbeat of advocacy, outreach, and civic engagement to keep all stakeholders — governments, private sector, philanthropy, academic, and civil society — accountable to their commitments and roles in building a healthier, safer future for all.

The Pandemic Action Network global community of partners commits to investing at least US$175 million between May and December 2022 toward these efforts, to help end the COVID-19 crisis and ensure the world is better prepared for the next pandemic.

Watch Pandemic Action Network’s submitted video commitment in advance of the Summit.

 

 

Seizing the Moment: Global Action to End the COVID-19 Crisis and Prevent the Next Pandemic

Posted on by Hanna Hwang

The COVID-19 pandemic is not over. The rapid global spread of the omicron variant has transitioned the pandemic to a new phase that requires updating our strategy and priorities to ensure a more effective — and equitable — response.

We are at a pivotal moment: progress on the global response has slowed, and we risk further setbacks due to the convergence of multiple global security crises with pandemic fatigue and complacency. The post-omicron global strategy must evolve, and requires global solidarity, coordination, and commitment to address short- and long-term imperatives.

These imperatives resounded throughout our jointly convened dialogue, Global Call to Action: End the COVID-19 Crisis and Prevent the Next Pandemic, on March 29, 2022. Diverse speakers joined by over 400 participants from around the world collectively identified four priorities set in a declaration to meet global needs at this stage of the pandemic and build stronger, more resilient, and equitable systems for the future: 

  1. Accelerate equitable access to and acceptance of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics, building for the future.
  2. Support country-led and community-driven goals and priorities, with global support strengthening national and regional systems and advancing equity.
  3. Build and invest now to pandemic proof the future for everyone, everywhere.
  4. Drive accountability at all levels and commit to global solidarity.

Read the joint declaration by Africa CDC, Amref Health Africa, African Population and Health Research Center, Organismo Andinode Salud, Cayetano Heredia University School of Public Health, Center for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives, COVID GAP, Pandemic Action Network, ONE Campaign, University of Ibadan College of Medicine, and WACI Health.

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The Network Effect on Pandemic Preparedness & Response

Posted on by Hanna Hwang

It has been two years of collective action. In April 2020, Pandemic Action Network formed to end the current pandemic as quickly as possible and ensure the world is prepared for the next one. 

Starting with 25 partners, the Network was built on a core operating assumption: Pandemics are too big, too numerous, and too complex for any one single stakeholder or sector to tackle alone. Two years in — and now in year three of the COVID crisis with over 250 partners around the world — that assumption is even more true.

Over the past two years, we have intentionally built Pandemic Action Network to be a diverse and agile group of partners — a global advocacy platform — where we can drive consensus for action without being hampered by the need to be consensus-driven. Today, we’re at an inflection point in the fight to end the COVID crisis and ensure a pandemic-proof future.

Our Year Two Impact Report focuses on the power of the Network Effect — our unique ability to harness the capacity, expertise, and influence of our diverse and growing group of partners across sectors and geographies to accelerate an end to the COVID crisis for everyone and advance meaningful change to pandemic proof our future. 

In practice, the Network Effect is fueled by a platform that is built for sharing timely information and intelligence, active brainstorming and strategizing, convening of experts and key stakeholders, openly connecting across traditional silos and boundaries, i.e., organizations, markets, sectors, and geographies, and targeted communications and policy and advocacy resources. The result is that Network members are better supported, aligned, and (often most importantly) not alone in taking action. Among the most significant roles for the Network is ensuring that pandemic preparedness does not disappear from agendas as policy makers — but also global health advocates and change makers — as many move on to other priorities in the wake of the crisis phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, our collective efforts are more important than ever. 

Our Year Two Report details lessons learned, our progress and impact, priorities for action, and how we plan to evolve to tackle the challenges ahead. It is a reminder that the agenda ahead is ambitious to match the complexity of pandemics. Our Network Effect must grow in order to meet the challenges ahead. Together, we must be relentless and stay in the fight until we have translated the promises and commitments of this crisis into a future in which humanity is better prepared to deal with outbreaks and prevent a deadly and costly pandemic from happening again.

Read The Network Effect on Pandemic Preparedness & Response — Our Year Two Impact Report.

To all our partners, thank you for staying in the fight! If you are not a partner of Pandemic Action Network and you are interested in joining our collective effort, please contact us.