WHO launches initiative to prepare world for pandemics

The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new initiative to be better prepared for future outbreaks of a similar scale and devastation as the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Aim: The Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Initiative is aimed at providing “guidance on integrated planning for responding to any respiratory pathogen such as influenza or coronaviruses”.
• Focus on the first module: While the current focus of PRET will be on respiratory viruses — in the backdrop of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, and possible threat of an avian influenza outbreak — work is already underway to assess what should be the next group of pathogens to be mitigated under this initiative.
• PRET incorporates the latest tools and approaches for shared learning and collective action established during the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent public health emergencies. 
  
  

  Key terminology An epidemic is an outbreak of a disease in a particular location. A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease which spreads to and occurs in many different geographic areas at the same time. Endemic diseases are established and circulating regularly in populations. Some endemic diseases such as influenza can have surges in transmission or have epidemics at certain times. A pathogen is an organism which causes a disease to its host, including but not limited to viruses.