Abstract
This Briefing highlights how the world remains vulnerable to the persisting risk of pandemics. The Global Health Security (GHS) Index is one tool for finding out how prepared countries are for pandemics. It was created in 2019 to benchmark countries. However, analysis early in the Covid-19 pandemic did not show the expected correlation between GHS Index scores and Covid-19 outcomes.
Just published research now demonstrates that countries’ GHS Index scores do predict Covid-19 outcomes. Additionally, scores in the ‘Risk environment’ category are most predictive, yet this category is not included in other preparedness tools such as the WHO’s Joint External Evaluation.
Aotearoa New Zealand—which ranks 13th on the index—can continue to reduce its vulnerability to biothreats by using tools such as the GHS Index, as well as learning from international exemplars such as the UK’s just-released comprehensive Biological Security Strategy.