“The world must start preparing for the next pandemic, Singapore’s senior minister says.”[1]
Belton, SC (March 10, 2022) – In a recent interview, with Singapore’s Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Tharman spoke with Annette Weisbach of CNBC at the G-20 Health Summit in Italy. “The next global pandemic could happen at any time and the world must start preparing for it now. We don’t have the luxury of waiting for covid to be over before we start preparing for the next pandemic, because the next pandemic can come any time.”[1] Tharman is a co-chair of the G-20 panel of global experts that released a report on Friday, 5/21 which proposed measures to prevent outbreaks and quickly respond to any future pandemic. The report initialed, “A GLOBAL DEAL FOR OUR PANDEMIC AGE”, was published June 2021. The report is from the G@) High Level Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.[2] The Panel recommends sweeping changes. The panel specifically states that that international funding for pandemic prepared is Dangerously underfunded.[3] Additionally, the panel further states, “domestic actions alone will not prevent the next pandemic. Governments must collectively commit to increasing international financing for pandemic prevention and preparedness by at least $75 billion over the next five (5) years, or $15 billion each year, with sustained investments in subsequent years.”[4]
The global panel of twenty-three (23), subject matter experts[5] reached a five (5) conclusions[6]:
- Covid -19 was not a black swan event. It may also constitute a dress rehearsal for a far worse pandemic, which could come at any time.[7]
- We must prepare for a world where pandemics are more frequent and increasingly dangerous. Preventing them, and never again allowing the human cost and economic damage that we have seen in the current crisis, must be a central obligation of national and global governance.[8]
- It fundamentally requires thinking internationally and not just domestically. We cannot contain the next pandemic through domestic measures alone.[9]
- In an historically unprecedented way, security for people around the world our now depends on global cooperation. Acting and investing for pandemic security, together with climate change, represents the primary international challenge of our times. Failure to build the basis for international cooperation will make it almost impossible to address these existential challenges.[10]
- We must not let exhaustion from efforts to get past the Covid-19 pandemic defer actions to address the growing risks ahead, The threat to humanity is to great.[11]
Mike Richardson, CEO of Mortuary Response Solutions, an expert in Mass Fatality Management, for more than 20 years, has been quoted as saying, “It took the Covid-19 Pandemic for the emergency response community to finally pay attention to what I’ve been saying for the past fifteen years. Emergency Preparedness has been a subject that no one wanted to focus on until Covid-19 struck. By that time, it was too late and we’ve been playing catch up ever since.”
About Mortuary Response Solutions
Mortuary Response Solutions, based in Belton, South Carolina is a manufacturer of unique storage and packaging system for mass fatality response. With over 20 years of mass fatality response experience, MRS was launched in 2007 to fill a void in portable cold storage systems for human remains. MRS pioneered and patented the use of Direct Contact Cooling for human remains storage. For further details on Mortuary Response Solutions® and the MERC® System, as well as the numerous other related products, visit our website: www.massfatalityresponse.com.
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Michael Richardson CEO
PHONE: (864) 617-9455
EMAIL: mpr@mortuaryresponse.com
[1] Yen Nee Lee, Senior Correspondent, CNBC, Published 6/12/21, Singapore, Covers Trade, Macroeconomics and Finance
[1] Annette Weisbach, CNBC Correspondent, G-20 Health Summit, 5/21-5/23, Rome, Italy
[2] G-20, Report of the G20 High Level Independent Panel, (HLIP) www.pandemic-financing.orgor
[3] Ibid, “A GLOBAL DEAL for our PANDEMIC AGE”, June 2021, HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY, page 6
[4] Ibid, “A GLOBAL DEAL for our PANDEMIC AGE”, June 2021, HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY, page 6
[5] Ibid, “A GLOBAL DEAL for our PANDEMIC AGE”, June 2021, Forward, page 2
[6] Ibid, “A GLOBAL DEAL for our PANDEMIC AGE”, June 2021, Section D., Conclusions, page 64
[7] Ibid, “A GLOBAL DEAL for our PANDEMIC AGE”, June 2021, Section D., Conclusions, page 64
[8] Ibid, “A GLOBAL DEAL for our PANDEMIC AGE”, June 2021, Section D., Conclusions, page 64
[9] Ibid, “A GLOBAL DEAL for our PANDEMIC AGE”, June 2021, Section D., Conclusions, page 64
[10] Ibid, “A GLOBAL DEAL for our PANDEMIC AGE”, June 2021, Section D., Conclusions, page 64
[11] Ibid, “A GLOBAL DEAL for our PANDEMIC AGE”, June 2021, Section D., Conclusions, page 64
