To obtain insights into reducing the shortfall in financing for pandemic preparedness and response measures, and reducing the risk of another pandemic with social and economic costs comparable to those of the coronavirus disease, researchers from Tecnológico de Monterrey and WHO conducted a systematic scoping review. Of the 60 articles included, seven were published before 2020 and primarily focused on financial assistance to low-income countries, vaccine funding, and legal aspects of funding pandemic preparedness and response. The other 53 were published after 2020 when academic interest had shifted towards global financing mechanisms.
A crucial topic identified is the need to understand the treatment of pandemic technologies, such as vaccines, as common goods, focusing on equity and knowledge sharing. The reviewed publications examine innovation, vaccine research and development, manufacturing, funding and capacity-building, emphasizing the need for a multifaceted approach towards strengthening global health systems and the pivotal role of governments in vaccine markets. The review also emphasizes the importance of legal and regulatory frameworks in pandemic response, and the need for continued investments in research and development such as on vaccines.
The review identified three important gaps: a formal definition of pandemic preparedness and response, impeding the accurate quantification of the financing shortfall; research on the extent to which financing for pandemic preparedness and response has been targeted at the most vulnerable households; and an analysis of specific financial instruments and an evaluation of the feasibility of their implementation.
Any organization or individual working in the field of immunization economics can submit findings, opportunities, calls to action, or other relevant work below to be shared with our community.