Report urges equity-focused pandemic readiness
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The NUS. Lancet PRIME Commission released a report in New York calling on countries to prioritize people and equity when preparing for pandemics.
The commission found that standard pandemic preparations, like surveillance systems and vaccine stockpiles, aren’t enough to protect communities during a crisis.
Researchers from 20 countries examined vulnerabilities across government, civil society, and the private sector, identifying five systemic weaknesses that leave communities unprotected: insecurity in basic needs, housing instability, exclusion from social programs, distrust in institutions, and fragile social systems. The report’s modelling of a potential influenza A pandemic showed that rapid vaccine development could reduce deaths by 59 percent, falling to 23.9 million from 58.5 million, even if wealthier nations receive vaccines first.
Distributing vaccines based on population need could prevent an additional 2.7 million deaths, and increasing vaccine confidence could save 1.9 million lives. Singapore’s experience during the COVID-19 pandemic informed the report, demonstrating that strong technical capabilities must be paired with social support systems, like wage assistance and business continuity plans, to effectively protect the population. The NUS.
Lancet commission proposes a “PRIME Test” to help countries assess whether their pandemic preparedness plans truly protect all members of society, focusing on wellbeing, equity, trust, and system-wide effects. The commission will now launch the PRIME Collective, a platform to help countries implement these recommendations and track progress.
