A new global report draws attention and intensifies the global need for preparedness priorities. Its primary goal is to protect people worldwide from future pandemics and other global health crises.
The report stresses the need for intensified investment in primary health care, real-time risk assessment, and international cooperation.
In essence, the focus of this report is to make sure local and global communities are ready to prevent and respond to the next pandemic.
Prepare for Global Health Crises
The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) is an accountability and independent monitoring and group. This group is comprised of exceptional experts, agency principals, and political leaders. GPMB was established in 2018 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank.
The primary purpose of this group is to strengthen preparedness for global health crises. They provide authoritative, independent consideration of global progress in building and sustaining the capability to prevent, detect, and respond to pandemics, disease outbreaks, epidemics, and other health emergencies
The GPMB released its 2025 report, ‘The New Face of Pandemic Preparedness,’ during the World Health Summit held in Berlin. It calls for a transformative shift in pandemic preparedness.
According to Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, GPMB Co-Chair and former President of Croatia,
“In our increasingly volatile and uncertain world, real preparedness for pandemics and other health emergencies must be anchored in well-functioning and well financed primary health care systems. Robust primary health systems reach deep into communities, providing essential health services in peacetime and building the deep trust that is fundamental to an effective health response when crises strike.”
Explosion of Misinformation and Growing Mistrust
Five years after the arrival of COVID-19, the world is still coming to grips with its outcome. For now, noteworthy geopolitical and technological changes offer challenges and opportunities to global health security.
The ways to develop new vaccines and treatments quickly, technological advances in data analytics, and the adoption of a generational Pandemic Agreement are all positive developments.
On the other hand, the explosion of misinformation, growing mistrust and conflict-ridden geopolitical forces weaken preparedness.
In its latest report, the GPMB urges governments and institutions to implement a new standard to reset the global health architecture for pandemic preparedness. They urgently appeal that focus on three actions — care, measure, and cooperate — is imperative.
Joy Phumaphi, GPMB Co-Chair and former Minister of Health of Botswana explains.
“Pandemics are multidimensional shocks that demand coordinated, multisectoral responses. Although there will be other pandemics, they will be different from pandemics of the past, and our preparedness needs to keep up with these changes. We must move beyond fragmented efforts and embrace cooperation and innovation as cornerstones of preparedness.”
Strengthen Three
The need for “care” is to strengthen frontline systems through closer engagement with communities, investments in primary health care, and a protected health workforce.
The requirement for “measurement,” needs the establishment of a full and wide-ranging pandemic risk monitoring system that tracks threats, vulnerabilities and preparedness in real time…while integrating health, social, economic and environmental data into clear signals for leaders.
In terms of “cooperation,” the report highlights the importance of a global health architecture based on the principles of solidarity and equity. In addition, it encourages the ratification, implementation and financing of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, with a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system, alongside the continued implementation of the strengthened International Health Regulations, to support the timely and fair sharing of samples, data and medical products.
Global Preparedness
Next year…2026 will be a crucial year for pandemic preparedness. In the lead-up to the United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, the GPMB will work closely with the World Health Organization and the World Bank, to ensure these calls for action are implemented and that the HLM agrees concrete steps toward stronger global preparedness.
The 2025 report draws on the GPMB Monitoring Framework, published in 2023 after two years of development and consultation. The framework takes a multisectoral perspective.
In addition, it features ninety indicators grouped into three dimensions: Risk; Prevention, Preparedness and Resilience; and Impact.
This year’s report focuses on the Impact dimension, highlighting the need to realign preparedness efforts to meet future challenges.
The report is available on the GPMB website: https://www.gpmb.org/reports/report-2025
