The Commission also supports the establishment of the WHO’s proposed $100 million Contingency Fund for Emergencies but believes it should be financed through one-off contributions proportional to assessed contributions rather than through voluntary contributions. Leading pandemic preparedness and response must be a core priority for the WHO and therefore needs adequate and committed funding.
Prompt alerts and rapid dissemination of relevant data are essential to effective outbreak response. Yet too often, alerts are delayed or data suppressed by officials fearful of the economic and political consequences. To normalize infectious-disease alerts, the WHO should send member states daily updates listing outbreaks with the potential to become PHEICs and should post weekly summaries online. To further encourage use of early alerts, the WHO should reinforce the protocols for holding governments publicly accountable for delays and for imposing excessive trade and travel restrictions.