On World Economic Forum Panel on Building Crisis-Resistant Healthcare Systems

Our collective experience with the COVID-19 pandemic shows the need for resilient health systems & universal access to services. Foresight & ongoing investment are needed to plan effectively around prevention, preparedness for & response to pandemic threats.

Put simply, the best health care in the world can't cope with a pandemic if basic public health infrastructure and measures aren't in place to curb transmission. Capacity has to be built & sustained for testing, tracing, quarantine, & consistent messaging around physical distancing, mask wearing, & WASH.

It's also vital to address the social determinants of health, tackle health inequalities, and provide social protection. The most marginalised & vulnerable have been most at risk in the pandemic.

I discussed these issues on the World Economic Forum #Davos2021 panel on building crisis-resistant health care systems: link