Meeting

Data's Role in Preventing the Next Pandemic

Monday, February 14, 2022
REUTERS/Michaela Rehle
Speaker
Rick A. Bright

Deputy Assistant Secretary and Office Director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Presider
Jennifer Nuzzo

Senior Fellow for Global Health, Council on Foreign Relations

Global Health Program

Over the past fifteen years, global health has been threatened by Ebola epidemics in West Africa, the emergence of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), the spread of Zika through the Americas,and the 2009 influenza pandemic. The tolls of each event have been exacerbated by inadequate data systems. Ongoing struggles to track the global spread of COVID-19 demonstrate the need to fix problems in existing surveillance for infectious diseases.

Explore More on Public Health Threats and Pandemics

Public Health Threats and Pandemics

Fentanyl and the U.S. Opioid Epidemic
Opioid addiction has become one of the United States’ biggest killers, endangering public health, the economy, and national security. But closing the floodgates on fentanyl poses a significant foreign policy challenge.

Backgrounder by Claire Klobucista and Mariel Ferragamo December 22, 2023

Health

What Does the CDC Do?
The federal agency has a broad mandate to protect Americans’ health and an expansive global reach. But the COVID-19 pandemic has been one of its most daunting challenges.

Backgrounder by Claire Klobucista August 24, 2022

World Health Organization (WHO)

What Does the World Health Organization Do?
Since its postwar founding, the UN agency has garnered both praise and criticism for its response to international public health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors June 2, 2022

Top Stories on CFR

Taiwan

Taiwan’s Democracy Is Thriving in China’s Shadow
Despite China’s growing pressure, Taiwan has developed one of the world’s strongest democracies—one that will be increasingly tested in the coming years. 

Blog Post by David Sacks May 13, 2024 Asia Unbound

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Beyond Watermarks: Content Integrity Through Tiered Defense

Watermarking is often discussed as a solution to the problems posed by AI-generated content. However, watermarking is inadequate without other methods of detecting and sorting out AI-generated content.

Blog Post by Kevin Klyman and Renée DiResta May 8, 2024 Net Politics

RealEcon

In Economic Security, Trade-Offs Abound
Policymakers face complex cost-benefit considerations when intervening in the market to mitigate perceived risks, from climate change to competition with China.

Article by Thomas J. Bollyky, Chloe Searchinger, Alice C. Hill, Zongyuan Zoe Liu and Benn Steil May 8, 2024 RealEcon