Chapter 17: Pandemics: Risks, Impacts, and Mitigation

This report chapter from the World Bank examines the latest data and analysis for worldwide pandemics, their risks, impacts, and tactics of mitigation. In it, the authors outline the history and correlation between pandemic emergence, trends in globalization, and evolving policy approaches used by the international community to strengthen pandemic preparedness. Despite improvements in pandemic trends due to these policies, progress has been uneven and has led to greater mortality impacts in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

This chapter is from the ninth volume of the Disease Control Priorities, third edition (DCP3) series, which focuses on the improvement of health and reducing poverty worldwide. The Disease Control Priorities Network (DCP) promotes and supports the use of economic evaluation for priority setting at both global and national levels, providing the most up-to-date evidence on intervention efficacy and program effectiveness for the leading causes of global disease burden. DCP3 presents its findings in nine individual volumes; the first eight focus on conceptually related health challenges—essential surgery, maternal/child health, cancer, mental and neurological disorders, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, major infectious diseases, injury prevention, and child and adolescent development—and each package addresses the disease burden, interventions, policies, and economics of that cluster of health issues. The ninth volume provides an overview with main findings and conclusions about achieving health priorities. DCP3 chapters, background papers, articles, reports, briefs, and related resources are publicly accessible.