Economics of Pandemic Preparedness Initiative

Programme Partner: Jameel Institute, Imperial College London

Region: Global

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that preparedness for infectious disease threats is a core mission for countries globally. But what preparedness interventions to invest in, and how much, are important questions that need answers. There is currently limited evidence on the return on investment on pandemic preparedness interventions.

The Jameel Institute at Imperial College London, in partnership with Singapore’s National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness and Response (PREPARE), aims to forge the world’s first initiative on integrated epidemiological-economic modelling of pandemic preparedness. This novel and innovative multi-disciplinary programme will bring together epidemiological, economic, business and social research expertise, drawing upon advanced methods of data science and analytics.

The programme aims to project human and economic costs associated with future pandemics under alternative preparedness scenarios. An interactive online dashboard for 150+ countries will allow users to compare the projected costs of preparedness investments against their potential benefits. Additionally, the programme will seek to build local capacity, and provide in-depth analyses of topical issues through country-specific case studies.

Delivering robust business cases of pandemic preparedness, the programme will help governments, businesses and international organisations make optimal decisions for the benefit of populations around the world.