Where there is a will, there is a way: independent assessment
of member state compliance with the pandemic agreement
On Oct 16, the world got its first glimpse of the complete draft negotiating text of the proposed pandemic agreement aimed at improving collective pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. In our analysis of the pandemic preliminary draft, we found gaps in crucial areas such as health system resilience and equal access, while noticing the lack of an independent accountability mechanism. Understanding the limitations of relying solely on self-reporting and peer review from previous frameworks, we assert the necessity of establishing a dedicated, independently mandated monitoring committee to ensure compliance.
Susanna Lehtimaki, Elliot Hannon, Layth Hanbali, Daniela-Filipa Soltan, Kimberley Peek, Tiffany Nassiri-Ansari, and Nina Schwalbe
Independent monitoring and the new pandemic agreement
Negotiations are ongoing at the WHO for a binding pandemic prevention agreement, but past agreements haven't guaranteed effective implementation. We found that while enforcement mechanisms are crucial, they're inconsistently applied and often rely on softer political approaches rather than strict legal measures. To address this, we propose an independent monitoring mechanism to assess and report on countries' adherence to the pandemic agreement, utilizing various data sources and reporting to a higher political body for enhanced compliance.
Layth Hanbali, Elliot Hannon, Susanna Lehtimaki, Christine McNab, and Nina Schwalbe
We cannot give up on the global pandemic treaty
Nearly two years after countries agreed to develop a new pandemic treaty, the prospect of achieving a bold new global agreement to prepare and respond to future disease threats is slipping away. Perhaps the last chance is the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on Pandemics in September. The meeting is a major opportunity for political leaders to show the sustained commitment that will be necessary to prevent and respond to future pandemics.
Nina Schwalbe
Primary health care: a cornerstone of pandemic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery
The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the devastating consequences of neglecting primary health care (PHC) before, during, and after a pandemic. This regression created a vicious cycle of vulnerability, especially for groups at high risk of disease. Therefore, PHC should not be an afterthought—it must be core to pandemic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery (PPR).
Arush Lal and Nina Schwalbe
Bold moves for vaccine manufacturing equity
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented global crisis, and although there was unprecedented
speed of development of new vaccines, the benefits from licensing effective vaccines in record time were
not felt by all. More equitable distribution of vaccines requires an ecosystem that supports sustainable manufacturing capabilities to produce them locally.
Nina Schwalbe and Ole Kristian Aars
Independent monitoring for the pandemic accord: a non-negotiable provision
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the need for a coordinated global response to pandemics. In response, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body for a pandemic accord will discuss a zero draft in February 2023, with the aim of presenting an accord for implementation in 2024. We conducted a comprehensive literature review of 11 monitoring mechanisms and consulted with experts from around the world. Based on our research, we propose the establishment of an independent monitoring committee to assess state parties' compliance with and reporting of the pandemic accord.
Layth Hanbali, Susanna Lehtimaki, Elliot Hannon, Christine McNab, and Nina Schwalbe
Why we still need a pandemic treaty
The 2022 World Health Assembly saw Member States discussing amendments to the International Health Regulations. Despite meeting in person for the first time since COVID-19, little progress was made on solutions for future pandemics due to procedural focus. In this article, we highlight the historical background and limitations of the IHR, exposed during the pandemic, as well as how data and evidence currently play too small a role in decision making. We propose committing to a pandemic treaty to be prepared for when the next pandemic hits.
Elliot Hannon, Layth Hanbali, Susanna Lehtimaki, and Nina Schwalbe
Use of financial incentives to increase adult vaccination coverage: A narrative review of lessons learned from COVID-19 and other adult vaccination efforts
To encourage COVID-19 vaccination, governments have offered a wide range of incentives to their populations ranging from cash to cows. Often these programs were rolled out at scale before assessing potential effectiveness. To inform future policy, our narrative review sought to understand the evidence base informing these programs and the extent to which they are effective. While we found evidence on cash transfers increasing both the coverage and intention to be vaccinated, improvements in coverage were limited. Lottery or other non-cash incentives did not appear to have an impact on vaccination for COVID-19.
Nina Schwalbe, Layth Hanbali, Marta C Nunes, Susanna Lehtimaki
Increasing efficiency in vaccine production: A primer for change
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of vaccines as public health and pandemic preparedness tools and amplified the importance of issues ranging from equitable distribution to reliable supply of quality, affordable vaccines. These issues however are not new. Delays in time from the first dose in a high-income country to introduction at scale in a low-income country can take years. These delays are driven by several challenges, some of which are unique to the vaccine development ecosystem. The patenting and overall intellectual property (IP) protection are complex, regulatory oversight is rigorous, manufacturing processes require technical support or know-how transfer from the innovator, and market dynamics create obstacles to delivering at scale. This paper provides an overview of the vaccine research and development process and where reform of the current system could increase access.
Evidence on Digital Mental Health Interventions for Adolescents and Young People: Systematic Overview
Although digital interventions for mental health can be effective for both supplementing and supplanting traditional mental health treatment, only a small proportion of existing digital platforms are evidence based. Furthermore, their cost-effectiveness and effectiveness, including in low- and middle-income countries, have been understudied. Widespread adoption and scale-up of digital mental health interventions, especially in settings with limited resources for health, will require more rigorous and consistent demonstrations of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness vis-à-vis the type of service provided, target population, and the current standard of care
Susanna Lehtimaki, Jana Martic, Brian Wahl, Katherine Foster, and Nina Schwalbe
The World Should Treat Pandemics Like It Treats
Chemical Weapons
While the world is still battling COVID-19, it’s time to start preparing for the next pandemic—above all, how to prevent it. We need to take pandemic containment as seriously as we take other dangers of mass destruction, such as nuclear proliferation and chemical weapons. Global treaties to prevent the spread of these weapons offer a toolbox that can be used or adapted to help prevent the spread of viruses as well.
Nina Schwalbe and Susanna Lehtimaki
Data Sharing and Global Public Health: Defining What We Mean by Data
As the volume of public health data expands and data are more interconnected, a broad range of data is being used to support research and inform global health policies and practice. We expand on an existing framework to provide a classification of data into four broad archetypes patient data, health systems data, routine public health data, and health research data. It should be noted that this categorization is used to describe how these data are generated and not necessarily their application or use.
Nina Schwalbe, Brian Wahl, Jingyi Song, Susanna Lehtimaki
Artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of global health
Although AI-driven health interventions can help to address several existing and emerging health challenges, many issues are not sufficiently described in these studies and warrant further exploration. These issues relate to the development of AI-driven health interventions; how efficacy and effectiveness are assessed and reported; planning for deployment at scale; and the ethical, regulatory, and economic standards and guidelines that will help to protect the interests of communities in low and middle income countries.
Nina Schwalbe and Brian Wahl
Accelerating access to medicines in a changing world
Many access tools were designed and implemented by donors, with relatively little engagement from patients or interaction with the systems into which the product is or will be introduced.
Hannah Ketler, Susanna Lehtimaki, Nina Schwalbe
COVID-19: Rethinking risk
Although older age and underlying conditions are visible markers of increased risk, people subject to structural inequities are more likely to develop underlying conditions and receive poor quality health care for management of those conditions and of COVID-19.
Nina Schwalbe, Susanna Lehtimaki, Juan Pablo Gutiérrez
Why are we closing schools?
Keeping kids out of the classroom will make recovering from the pandemic harder in the long term, while not keeping us any safer in the near term. Reopening schools doesn’t appear to meaningfully increase the level of risk faced by teachers or students, but closing them causes well-documented damage to students. Evidence from around the world—and even from New York City—shows not only that many schools should remain open, but that officials should take more steps to open up classrooms.
Nina Schwalbe
Apples and oranges? Can second-generation vaccines become as low cost as generic medicines?
A step change in cost will require fundamental shifts in vaccine technologies and how they are developed, regulated and even manufactured.
Aurelia Nguyen and Nina Schwalbe
Expanding the use of community health workers in urban settings
As global and national policymakers deliberate approaches to achieving the SDGs, including for universal health coverage, the delivery of community-based interventions involving CHWs in urban settings should be strongly considered.
Brian Wahl, Susanna Lehtimaki, Stefan Germann and Nina Schwalbe
Global Public Goods for Health (GPGs)
In a new policy paper, we’ve examined the potential support for GPGs from four organizations that
provide the most development assistance for health: Gavi, the Global Fund, World Bank, and
World Health Organization.
Gavin Yamey, Jessica Kraus, Sara Fewer, Nina Schwalbe
Artificial intelligence (AI) and global health
As resource-poor settings become more connected and the data they produce of higher quality, the ability of AI to address health challenges will likely expand.
Brian Wahl, Aline Cossy-Gantner, Stefan Germann, Nina Schwalbe
Time's up for journal gender bias
From January, 2013, through February, 2018, The Lancet published the reports of 39 Commissions….only 34% of all named commissioners have been women.
Nina Schwalbe and Jennifer Fearon
Maternal and child health and non-communicable diseases
Following a life-course approach, maternal and child health interventions, before delivery and during childhood and adolescence, can prevent NCDs.
Luisa Brumana, Alvaro Arroyo, Nina Schwalbe, Susanna Lehtimaki, David Hipgrave
Generation Men
The Fearless Girl statue that faces down Wall Street's charging bull grabbed international headlines and triggered a debate about the glass ceiling that continues to obstruct women.
Nina Schwalbe