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Pandemic Preparedness: Analyzing National Plans for Respiratory Pathogen Pandemics in the Americas Region
Andrea Patricia Villalobos Rodríguez1, Iyanna Wellington Perkins1, Shoa Moosavi1
1Health Emergencies Department, Pan American Health Organization, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
The Journal of Infectious Diseases
|February 1, 2025
Summary
National pandemic plans in the Americas show limited alignment with WHO guidelines, particularly in public health and R&D. Strengthening these areas is crucial for effective pandemic preparedness and response.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Health Policy
Background:
- Assessing national pandemic preparedness and response plans is vital for identifying gaps and prioritizing actions.
- The study focuses on the Americas region, evaluating plans for respiratory pathogens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the concordance of national pandemic plans with the World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic checklist and International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities.
- To identify specific areas of strength and weakness in existing national preparedness strategies.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective, semiquantitative analysis of 35 national respiratory pathogen pandemic plans from Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) member states.
- Utilized a 5-point scale with 25 tracking questions to assess alignment with WHO guidelines and International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities via the States Parties Annual Report (SPAR) tool.
Main Results:
- Most national plans demonstrated limited alignment with the WHO pandemic checklist recommendations.
- Key areas with low concordance included public health and social measures, emergency/logistics, and research and development.
- Stronger alignment was observed in policy/legal instruments, coordination, and surveillance: early detection and assessment.
Conclusions:
- National pandemic preparedness and response plans require updates to align with international standards and address identified gaps.
- Leveraging existing strengths and utilizing tools like the PRET module can enhance capacities required by the IHR.
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