Level of global preparedness to pandemics and responsiveness of health systems to pandemics: Lessons learned from Covid-19 and Monkeypox Outbreak

Abstract

The monkeypox disease has been declared a global health emergency in the recent past by WHO since cases have been observed to be increasing in many countries where it is not common. Thus, epidemics and pandemics such as the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have had adverse effects on populations, and healthcare systems, especially in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) because of borrowing or inadequate resources when compared to high-income countries. The Ebola and Covid-19 for instance have also revealed the existing deficiencies and vulnerabilities in the global structure of the pandemics’ prevention and control all in one. New epidemics are constantly emerging such as the current monkeypox outbreak that is ravaging the global population; hence it has dawned on the world that there is need for combined efforts at a global level and probably investing more in the health systems to be able to prevent and deal with other similar epidemics. Further, there is required more equal distribution of the resources and health intervention in all countries to build strong containment responses. Based on prior episodic outbreaks, there is the need for immediate coordinated response to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak. The purpose of this research article is to review and discuss the main underlying autopsies from past outbreaks, including Ebola and Covid-19 with emphasis on readiness, answering to the outbreak, coordination measures, health system robustness, risk communication and the international community. It also evaluates the readiness globally and by country to the present monkeypox outbreak based on other recent large viral epidemics. It also prevents social stigmatization, which is the negation of outbreaks, and rightful inequities that may arise from the same. As such, and with health system reforms launched now, countries can prepare themselves against present and future known and unknown urgencies and leave no one behind. As such the general research question of this study is to obtain strategies for enhancing pandemic preparedness taken from successes and failure noticed earlier and the focus placed on LMIC capacity strengthening.