NEW YORK-Thursday 17 October 2019 [ AETOS Wire ]
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191016005859/en/
(BUSINESS WIRE)
-- The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, with the World
Economic Forum and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will host Event 201, a multimedia global pandemic exercise on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, in New York City. The public may register and participate in the simultaneous virtual exercise in English, 8:50 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EDT at centerforhealthsecurity.org/event201/.
The exercise underscores the need for global public-private cooperation
to mitigate economic and societal impacts of severe pandemics.
In recent
years, the world has seen a growing number of epidemic events, about 200
per year, which strain limited resources. A large global pandemic would
be disruptive to health, economies, and society. Economic studies show
that pandemics could be the cause of an average annual economic loss of
0.7% of global GDP—or $570 billion.
Event 201, played by 15 leaders
of businesses, governments, and public health, will illustrate
realistic policy problems that must be addressed under pressure during a
pandemic. At the video-driven exercise, players will be presented with a
scenario that reveals unresolved and controversial policy and economic
issues that could be solved with sufficient political will, financial
investment, and attention.
“In addition
to challenging health and health systems, pandemics can cause severe
cascading economic and societal consequences,” said Tom Inglesby, MD,
director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Neither governments nor
private industries alone can adequately respond to a severe pandemic;
they must work together. We’ve designed Event 201 to engage
leaders in compelling ways to help them understand the decisions needed
to prepare for and respond to biological threats.”
“Outbreaks of
infectious disease are inevitable, but the economic damage they cause
is not,” said Ryan Morhard, project lead for Global Health Security at
the World Economic Forum.
“Sustained attention from a broad multistakeholder coalition is needed
in advance of a severe pandemic to save lives and minimize economic and
societal consequences.”
Chris Elias, president of global development at the Gates Foundation, noted that “Event 201 and its predecessor simulations like Clade X
are crucial tools to understand not only what is needed to effectively
respond to global public health crises, but also the consequences of
what happens when we are not prepared.”
The exercise is supported by funding from the Open Philanthropy Project.
More information is at centerforhealthsecurity.org/event201, #Event201, @JHSPH_CHS, @wef and @gatesfoundation.
EVENT 201 IS A FICTIONAL EXERCISE AND DISEASE
Editor’s note:
RSVP for a confirmed seat, information about camera and recording
limitations; access same day to video, graphics, audio, photos and
interviews. See Event 201 media advisory and other materials.
Contacts
Media:
Carol Miller
Communications Strategic Lead, Event 201
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
carolmiller@jhc.edu 1-202-306-0130
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