The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response has found the majority of countries did not respond appropriately to the World Health Organization’s early COVID-19 alert.
A Public Health Emergency of International Concern, known as a PHEIC, is the highest global alert the WHO can issue, which was announced 30 January 2020.
The Panel found that despite the warning, most countries' plans for an outbreak were underfunded and underprepared, meaning there was a missed opportunity to better contain the outbreak.Â