A study has suggested that the total world economic cost of the Covid-19 pandemic is a 'mighty' $11.5 tn, whereas the cost of preventing the next pandemic could be a 'meagre' $26.2 bn (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/23/preventing-next-pandemic-fraction-cost-covid-19-economic-fallout). In effect, this means that the world could collectively 'insure' against the next pandemic, by spending less than 2% of the economic costs of the present outbreak. The $26.2 bn would be spent on ending the wild meat trade in China (and elsewhere?); setting up mechanisms for early disease detection and control as well as reducing tropical deforestation by 40% in the most critical regions. These (and other suggestions) all seem like good investments to me (although some of these things would have to be continuously financed) but I can't see countries agreeing to pay a share. This is especially so when we have major players threatening to stop payments to the World Health Organisation for 'political' reasons. Countries focus exclusively on their own perceived problems and prefer 'to fly by the seat of their pants'.
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