Growing mobility, international networking and the expansion of global trade and traffic increase the risk of infectious diseases spreading rapidly across country borders. The international community is well aware of the threats and challenges posed by new pandemics. In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) produced a revised version of the International Health Regulations. These global rules enhance national, regional and global public health security, and help partner countries improve their pandemic preparedness. Furthermore, huge resources to extend pandemic preparedness are being made available internationally. However, the capacity to absorb these resources and thus to react timely and adequately to an emergency outbreak of infectious diseases is limited in many countries. .

Since September 2009, the Pandemic Preparedness Initiative has been supporting GIZ (former GTZ) partner countries of German bilateral cooperation in developing and implementing national pandemic preparedness plans. The aims of the Initiative are:

• Government and civil society actors are able to fulfil their roles as stipulated in national emergency plans.
• Countries reach a minimum standard of pandemic preparedness.
• Health systems in the partner countries are resilient enough to retain control even in case of severe disease outbreaks.

The Initiative for Pandemic Preparedness is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The Initiative collaborates closely with local GIZ offices and international organizations.

• Fact Sheet German Pandemic Preparedness Initiative
  giz2011-en-pandemicpreparedness-factsheet.pdf, 0.29 MB (English)

• World Health Organization (WHO): International Health Regulations
  www.who.int/ihr/en