Context: According to the new 2021 Global Health Security (GHS) Index launched by Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security the world remains unprepared for future epidemic and pandemic threats.

Key Findings

• Countries are unprepared for future pandemics and epidemics.
• The world's overall performance on the GHS Index score slipped to 38.9 (out of 100).
• India’s GHS Index score- 42 out of 100
• No country scored above 75.9.
• 65% countries had not published and implemented national public health emergency response plan.
• 73% countries did not have the ability to provide approval vaccines and antiviral drugs.
• 155 out of 195 countries have not allocated national funds within the last three years.
• 70% of countries show insufficient health capacity in clinics, hospitals, and community health centers.

Political and security risks have increased: A whopping 82 per cent of countries have low to moderate levels of public confidence in their government, according to the Index.

• The world’s performance on communicating the risk communication messages to people has also been very disappointing.
• Over 71 per cent of the countries did not identify how risk communication messages would reach populations and sectors with different communication needs related to language, location and media reach.

Global Health Security Index

• It is the first comprehensive assessment and benchmarking of health security.
• Aim: to spur measurable changes in national health security.
• It measured the capacities of 195 countries to prepare for epidemics and pandemics.
• It has assessed countries across six categories, 37 indicators and 171 questions.

Categories

• Prevention of the emergence or release of pathogens.
• Early detection & reporting epidemics of potential international concern.
• Rapid response to and mitigation of the spread of an epidemic.
• Sufficient & robust health system to treat the sick & protect health workers.
• Commitments to improving national capacity, financing plans to address gaps, and adherence to global norms.
• Overall risk environment and country vulnerability to biological threats.
• Four of the six GHS Index categories have an average score below 40 out of 100.

Road Ahead

• Health emergencies demand a robust public health infrastructure with effective governance. But the trust in government, which has been a key factor associated with success in countries’ responses to COVID-19.