Chapter 23: Influencing global health security through finance and philanthropy (from Modernizing Global Health Security to Prevent, Detect, and Respond)

This chapter aims to provide a thoughtful and balanced scientific review and analysis of financial philanthropy gaps and impediments to global public health security, provide a vision of an improved approach, and suggest actions to mitigate infectious disease pandemics. Despite improvements, significant gaps and difficulties exist in global pandemic preparedness measures; only about one-fourth of countries in the world could sufficiently prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies. Inadequate financing for pandemic preparedness, inflexible instruments for health crisis response, and slow but costly delivery of aid become other obstacles in a global pandemic situation. To support countries in better strengthening their capacity in pandemic preparedness and response, liable, transparent, sustainable, and honest bi- and multisectoral partnerships must be advanced. The roles of finance and philanthropy in minimizing the spread of pandemics are crucial, particularly to help the global community mobilize domestic resources and development assistance, leverage their insurance model and scope, and allocate more money for sustainable research and development. This systematic review uncovered the dynamic and relevant contexts for understanding the role of finance and philanthropy during pandemics to help policymakers, government officials, and financing agencies achieve better preparedness and response to mitigating pandemics.