Harnessing technology for pandemic preparedness demands system reform
It has been two years since COVID-19 took the world by storm, altering life as we know it. Prior to its emergence, the Global Health Security Index noted that no country was fully prepared to tackle a pandemic.
This unpreparedness, however, was not due to a lack of scientific or technological progress.
Two major technological breakthroughs have powered our global response to COVID-19. First, advances in biomedical and genomic technologies
have allowed us to detect and characterize viruses like SARS-CoV-2, and develop countermeasures like vaccines and therapies with unprecedented speed.
Second, powerful new information technologies and systems have allowed us to collect data in real-time, conduct viral surveillance, and coordinate local, national, and regional health systems.