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Crossroads of supply

In preparation for future outbreaks, supply management in pandemic operations should be examined and evaluated now.

WHO has done exceptional work in communication, streamlining supply request operations and providing available, up to date information around supply. 

IDSA and infectious disease communities have provided exceptional expertise in rapid response. This includes ongoing analyses around lab comparison and testing strategies. 

Labor, government, diplomacy and other individual country contributions have provided immediate, attentive compassion. Notably, work around laboratory supply test explanation to the public and direct ask to every laboratory test for data aggregation is critical. 

All of this effort should be supported with immediate improvement teams in the global arena. Opportunities for improvement global health pandemic management supply could emphasize:  

    ⦾ Evaluation of ongoing demands, shortage and turn around time to delivery.

    ⦾ Evaluation of supply liaison work: how was baseline supply assessed, how does baseline compare with current requests and country use, and how do these metrics compare with reported COVID test results, hospitalizations, antiviral use, antibiotic use, empty beds and mortality from the country?

    ⦾ Evaluation of laboratory testing communication issued by WHO: to date, there is no easy to read document on sensitivity, specificity, and quality of labs by product, brand, type and country use. This is important when pulling the pandemic away from geopolitics, and the tug of war will always be a constant. Laboratory comparisons in an easy-to-read, public friendly document should be available.  

    ⦾ Notation of contribution to the global health supply work by individual countries, including the FDA and in EU structures. This work directly supports, even as an indirect non-monetary offer. Acknowledging indirect support by building off of it, in collaboration, could strengthen global pandemic solidarity. Success at the crossroads is realized when roadblocks are removed and interstate traffic improvements are adopted. 


As global health is funded with collective donations, country taxes, etc, all of these improvement points should be accessible in public reports. WHO has done phenomenal work around supply; having an improvement team secures long-term credibility to global health effort. 

 

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