NTI helps launch fund to help countries prepare for pandemics

The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) is part of a new initiative to help fill gaps in pandemic preparedness that have emerged with the rapidly evolving COVID-19 coronavirus crisis.

NTI, along with other global health security organizations, is helping to launch a fund called the Global Health Security (GHS) Challenge Fund. This fund would be used to help build capacity where it is needed most by disbursing loans and grants to countries so they can make progress on preparedness.

NTI officials say there hasn’t been enough political will to finance National Action Plans for Health Security developed by more than 100 countries around the world. The average overall health security score for countries is 40.2 out of 100, according to the 2019 Global Health Security Index. Also, the gap in preparedness financing for low and lower-middle income countries is large, NTI officials added.

The GHS Challenge Fund would allow funding to be disbursed transparently, with resources flowing directly to eligible countries to fill gaps. The loans would be administered over an agreed period of time to increase accountability and promote a sustainable way to shift accounting lines away from donor balance sheets to national budgets.

It would initially be funded at about $1 billion with a mix of public and private international financing. Funding would be prioritized for countries with the greatest need and have identified preparedness gaps. Further, it would create clear incentives and benchmarks for progress, based on agreed measures of preparedness.