Prof. Scott Rosenstein, a Public Health Professor and a Special Advisor of Global Health to Eurasia Group based in the United States, participates in Risk Roundup to discuss COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness.
COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit nations with many known and unknown risks. While the world is trying to understand the unknowns, much of the familiar knowns also seems to be getting beyond our control.
As a result, both lives and livelihoods, investments and institutions, governments and governance models, business and commerce, manufacturing and supply chains, economic and national security are at risk. So, the question then emerges are about our preparedness, our systems preparedness, and the preparedness of our nation.
Ensuring Effective Response
Pandemics occur rarely. However, planning and preparing for a pandemic is always essential to ensure an effective response when an outbreak occurs.
Most nations and their governments have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by declaring a public health emergency. While they are also adopting known measures to prevent the infectivity and limit the number of infections, millions of lives have already been significantly altered, and there is no going back.
The reason is the state of response. No nation seems to have been proactive in the COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness. Besides, it looks like nations still manage the pandemic today like they controlled the last pandemic. So, the question then is:
- Why have we not advanced in how we survive pandemics?
- Why have we not integrated the emerging technologies for pandemic prevention?
- Why have we not been proactive in our response?
While the debate will continue in analyzing whether the world was prepared or is prepared for this COVID-19 pandemic, the reality is that we need to begin a discussion on how to prepare for all-natural or human-made pandemics that may come our way.
Global Health Crisis
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is attacking society at the core. Most nations are facing a global health crisis, unlike any they have faced in the last century. The COVID-19 virus is killing humans, spreading suffering, and overturning everyone’s lives. Nonetheless, this is much more than a health or economic crisis; this is a social or societal crisis and has consequences for the future of humanity.
While there is a broader need to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on society, the immediate needs are assessing the effectiveness of healthcare from a pandemic preparedness perspective. We must begin to ask questions like:
- What is the meaning of health?
- What determines human health, and who is responsible for it?
It is also essential to understand how we are monitoring pandemics and what technology and process are followed. It is also necessary to know whether we have a disaster planning process in place. But most important is to understand what the role of healthcare systems is in pandemic preparedness.
What Next?
We have faced so many pandemics over the years. Based on what we are learning today, it is essential to incorporate lessons for the coming tomorrow. That brings us an important question: is there a need for a Bioforce? The time is now to begin a discussion on whether nations need to create a Bioforce for Pandemic Preparedness.
For more, please watch the Risk Roundup Webcast or hear the Risk Roundup Podcast
About the Guest
Scott Rosenstein is a public health professor at Bard College’s Globalization and International Affairs program. He was the head of research at the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities initiative. He specializes in the politics and management of global health issues and their impact on economic and state stability. Scott has a BA from Amherst College, two master’s degrees, in public health, and in international relations, from Yale University. He is based in the United States.
About the Host of Risk Roundup
Jayshree Pandya (née Bhatt), Ph.D., is a leading expert at the intersection of science, technology, and security and is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Risk Group LLC. She has been involved in a wide range of research, spanning security of and from science and technology domains. Her work is currently focused on understanding how converging technologies and their interconnectivity across cyberspace, aquaspace, geospace, and space (CAGS), as well as individuals and entities across nations: their governments, industries, organizations, and academia (NGIOA), create survival, security, and sustainability risks. This research is pursued to provide strategic security solutions for the future of humanity. From the National Science Foundation to organizations from across the United States, Europe, and Asia, Dr. Pandya is an invited speaker on emerging technologies, technology transformation, digital disruption, and strategic security risks. Her work has contributed to more than 100 publications in the areas of science and commerce. She is the author of the books, Geopolitics of Cybersecurity and The Global Age.
About Risk Roundup
Risk Roundup, a global initiative launched by Risk Group, is a security risk reporting for risks emerging from existing and emerging technologies, technology convergence, and transformation happening across cyberspace, aquaspace, geospace, and space. Risk Roundup is released in both audio (Podcast) and video (Webcast) format. It is available for subscription at (Risk Group Website, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, Android, and Risk Group Professional Social Media).
About Risk Group
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